The death confirmed in Madrid on Monday comes after three patients died in Andalucía this weekend

A sixteenth person has fallen victim to the Swine Flu virus in Spain, in news confirmed by the Madrid Region’s health department on Monday morning. The department has respected the family’s wishes, and has released no details on the patient’s sex or identity or even the hospital where the death took place.

It brings the number of victims in Madrid up to three.
The news of this latest death came after three victims were confirmed in Andalucía this weekend, all dying in the space of 24 hours. The patients died in hospitals in Cádiz, Sevilla and Granada and it’s understood there was no connection between any of the cases.

All three were at risk from H1N1 complications, with two of the patients suffering from morbid obesity. The other had a history of health problems, the nature of which has not been disclosed to the press.

They were the first deaths from the virus in Andalucía.
José Martínez Olmos from Spain’s Health Ministry made an appeal for calm on Monday, reminding the public that flu generally and the H1N1 virus in particular can cause greater complications for those who suffer an underlying health condition, adding that the death toll so far in Spain is lower than that for seasonal flu.

Most cases, he said, are non-severe, with the patient recovering in a few days. (Via Expatica)