Girl, seven, dies from swine flu

A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD girl has died from swine flu – the second Brit to be killed by the virus and not to have underlying health problems.

Little Chloe Buckley, from West Drayton, Middlesex, attended the nearby St Catherine's RC Primary School.

She fell ill with a sore throat on Wednesday and went to see the doctor, but was told she had tonsillitis and sent home without getting the Tamiflu antiviral drug.

Her condition deteriorated over night and at 10am on Thursday her parents took her to Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge.

The dark-haired youngster was then transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, but she died hours later on Thursday evening.

'Devastated'

Her devastated parents – who are practising Catholics – learnt last night their daughter had died from swine flu following tests.

A mother with a child at the same school as the tragic tot said: "Chloe was fit and healthy and in school on Monday and Tuesday.

"By Wednesday she had developed a very sore throat and her mother took her to the doctors.

"But the doctor said she had tonsillitis and sent her home without giving her Tamiflu.

"Over night she became incredibly unwell and at 10am on Thursday her parents took her to hospital and she was transferred to Great Ormond Street.

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"But it was too late and she died that night.

"Then last night her parents were told the test results had come back and she died of swine flu.

"They are devastated because they feel Chloe could still be alive if she was given Tamiflu on Wednesday.

"They are such a close family and those parents did everything for their children."

Many of Chloe's classmates are being kept at home today because parents fear the virus could sweep through the school.

The headteacher has invited concerned parents to a meeting at 3.15pm in the school's hall, where they will discuss the swine flu menace.

Chloe is the 16th fatality of the swine flu pandemic so far in the UK.

There are at least 9,718 confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK – the third highest in the world behind Mexico, where the bug was first identified, and the US.

But it is not known how many people are truly suffering from swine flu as many may be treating themselves at home rather than contacting their GP.

London and the West Midlands are approaching epidemic levels in terms of the number of cases being reported.