Flu pandemic 'could kill up to one in 80'

HEALTH bosses are preparing for a massive flu outbreak that they fear could kill up to one in 80 people in Derbyshire.

Medical gowns and masks have been stockpiled and plans are in place to give information and drugs to the public to stop the spread of the killer disease.

Experts fear a 15-week pandemic could kill 12,000 people in the county.

And while children and the elderly are normally worst-hit by seasonal flu, a pandemic virus would be strong enough to kill healthy people.

Businesses can expect half of their employees to fall ill.

According to the World Health Organisation, the threat of bird flu mutating so that it can be easily passed from person to person means there is a greater risk of a pandemic now than at any time since the last outbreak in 1968.

Mike Sandys, of NHS Derby City, said: "It's a question of when it happens and not if. We're going to get an outbreak sooner or later. And when it happens, it will have a big impact on the health service and society in general."