*found on Euronews 24
By: TOM
* See...not just here...
LONDON - An overwhelming majority of doctors fear that infections and serious diseases could be missed because swine flu is being diagnosed over the phone, a poll showed Wednesday.
Nearly 90 percent of 251 general practitioners questioned by GP newspaper fear that conditions such as tonsilitis or bronchitis and potentially fatal illnesses such as meningitis may be overlooked.
The swine flu hotline was launched to reduce pressure on doctors because Britain has more cases of the virus than any other country in Europe, with an estimated 110,000 new cases a week for the past two weeks.
About half of people being diagnosed with swine flu are receiving their diagnosis over the telephone by staff without medical training who work from a checklist of symptoms.
But one doctor said it was blindingly obvious that a telephone diagnosis will very rarely, but very significantly, miss an alternative diagnosis which could lead to severe morbidity or mortality.
Another commented: The symptoms are so vague and wide-ranging, swine flu can masquerade as a vast array of other diseases.
More than 30 people have died from the A virus in the country, although almost all had pre-existing serious health problems.
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