By Kathy Forsyth  July 27 2009

The latest suspected swine flu death is sure to set alarm bells ringing.

Not only was Stephen Russell Lavelle young – only 27 ­– when he died on Friday, but he is also believed to be the first person suffering no other medical condition to have died from the illness.

 Even more worrying is that Lavelle, from Invercargill, was in hospital for a week, and medical staff, according to comments from one of his relatives, still could not save his life.

 He is the 16th person to have died in New Zealand from the N1H1 virus, and all the other victims had underlying health conditions.

 Health officials say they are still confirming that he died of H1N1 and that he had no other medical issues.

 According to his relative, he was healthy. Mr Lavelle’s death comes after startling information released by researchers at Otago University’s Wellington campus indicating that we may have underestimated the severity of H1N1.

 These researchers, as well as experts from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, say that the infection rate of the illness is worse than previously thought. It was first believed that every two people sick with flu would infect three others.

 But statistics are now showing that every sick person is in fact infecting two others.

 In the UK, one in three people who have died from swine flu have been healthy with no previous medical conditions, or very mild conditions. This has shifted matters up a few gears and could have people slightly more worried than before.

 The reaction thus far from medical authorities has been for people to stay calm, and to use common sense when the sickness strikes them or someone they know: Stay at home if you have any signs of flu practise good hygiene, such as washing hands thoroughly, and telephone for medical advice, particularly if you have an underlying health issue.

 The attitude to the illness has been quite relaxed: It is going to happen, there is no need to panic, just take practical steps to protect yourself and your family.

 This writer’s own child has come into close contact with another child a few weeks ago who it turned out had swine flu.

 I was not the slightest bit worried, the illness is generally mild, my daughter is healthy, if she had got sick (she didn’t) odds were she would pull through without any problems, according to information I had read in the media.

 A doctor I sought advice from earlier had even said it was not necessary for her to be vaccinated against the flu.

 I perhaps might have been slightly more worried in light of latest information on H1N1. But at the end the day, acting sensibly is the only thing we can continue to do if we want to lower the impact of H1N1.

 However, it is also imperative that authorities keep the media, and thus the public, informed about the progression of swine flu. If it is more serious than thought, if it is more contagious than previously believed, we want to know.

 We also want to know if we need to up our response to the illness.