The government has released further information on the underlying conditions that can cause swine flu to become more dangerous, showing that asthma is the most common comorbidity found in those who are admitted to hospital.

The figures come from a study conducted by the Flu Clinical Information Network (FLU-CIN) and funded by the Department of Health, which looked at a sample of 192 patients in England who had been hospitalised with the H1N1 virus. It found that lung disease was the most common underlying condition, with more than 25% of those admitted having …