Although the effects of the H1N1 virus are said to be less severe than first feared, five people in Finland so far this season have died of the disease and more than 30 have ended up in intensive care.
The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) says that most swine flu patients in the current epidemic are people under 65 years of age and with no underlying health conditions. Doctors say this is an exceptional and worrying trend.
In North Karelia, for example, some swine flu patients have suffered difficult lung tissue infections which lead to lack of oxygen. Good intensive care is increasingly important in rural areas, where hospitals can be over 100 kilometres away.
Doctors warn that, although the current epidemic has already lasted for several weeks, it does not appear to be over yet.
