New Swine Flu Cases Double in England

New swine flu cases have doubled in the past week in England, to 100,000, as the country sets up a National Flu Service to handle the outbreak, the BBC reports. The service will allow flu sufferers to get medication via the phone or Internet without having to consult a doctor; it’s the first system of its kind in England.

The death toll, at 26, hasn’t changed since last week. Two-thirds of deaths for which full data are available were among people who had other conditions, like cancer, officials said. “There is no evidence to suggest it is becoming more virulent. Most people with no underlying conditions will get over the flu perfectly well,” said the country’s chief medical officer. (More flu stories.)