British Student Group Quarantined By Chinese Authorities Over Swine Flu

A teacher said members of a British student group quarantined by Chinese authorities over swine flu were "shocked" by their detention but were being treated well.

The group of 52 students and teachers were quarantined after four students tested positive for the A(H1N1) virus after arriving in Beijing for a study tour, the British Council said earlier.

British Airlines Ban Swine Flu Carriers
British airlines on Sunday stepped up restrictions on suspected swine flu carriers, as a report said four more British students quarantined in China have had infections confirmed.

"It was a bit of surprise to be detained at the airport. We have been in a state of shock," Ian Tyrell, one of the teachers leading the tour, told AFP by telephone from the hotel where the group was quarantined.

Tyrell said there were some Americans and other nationalities under quarantine at the hotel, some of them students, but he could not provide a specific number.

The hotel would not give a figure and city health officials did not immediately respond to queries.

Health Ministers of South America Meet on Stemming Swine Flu
Health ministers from six South American nations hit by the swine flu pandemic met in Buenos Aires on Wednesday to coordinate defenses against the virus...

However, Tyrell said members of his group were being well-treated and well-fed and were passing the time until the expected end of their seven-day quarantine on Tuesday by watching TV, studying and playing games.

"They are having a good experience. They are still excited to be in China," Tyrell said.

Obese People More Likely To Die Of Swine Flu: Study
Here's some bad news for fat folks: Overweight people are more likely to die of swine flu, says a new US study.

He added that two of the children who tested positive for swine flu had since rejoined their groups in quarantine, while two others were "doing well" in a Beijing hospital.

China has launched aggressive measures to try and detect swine flu, including temperature checks on foreign flights coming into the country, and has quarantined dozens of foreign nationals since the virus first emerged in May.

There have been around 1,500 positive cases of the virus in China, the health ministry said on its website, but no deaths have been reported.

Source-AFP
ARU