Swine fever: exam chaos feared as schools close

Six cases of swine flu have been confirmed at Alleyn's School in Dulwich, south London, leading to classrooms being closed just before the exam season. It is the fourth secondary school in southern England to be shut by the health authorities: the others are South Hampstead High School for girls, Downend School in South Gloucestershire and Paignton Community and Sports College in Devon.

Governors at a primary school - the Dolphin School in Battersea, south London - volunteered to close after two sisters were confirmed to have the virus.

However, as one 12-year-old girl who is already recovering from the flu put it to reporters: "When I found out it was swine flu I was worried but really it just felt like a normal cold. I don't think it's anything to worry about."

Sophie De Salis, an accountant's daughter who attends the £13,500-a-year Alleyn's, was sent home from school on Wednesday with a high temperature. By the time she tested positive on Saturday for swine flu, following a swab test, she was already feeling better.

"We wouldn't have thought for a second that Sophie had swine flu," said her mother. "She just felt under the weather and it was like any other illness."

The Health Protection Agency announced nine new cases in Britain on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 27. Only some of the sufferers had been to Mexico, confirming that the virus is now spreading person to person.

The flu is not highly virulent. As an indication, Sophie's parents have not been told to stay at home, while Sophie herself has been told to be "sensible" about who she comes into contact with and where she goes.

However, because of the upcoming Sats tests, followed by GCSEs and A-levels, the disruption could be massive if the flu continues to spread from school to school via siblings and friends. Ofqual, the body which regulates exams in England, is reviewing contingency plans.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said the virus was "relatively mild" but that it was best to "play safe". He added: "We are still not absolutely sure what it is that we are dealing with." This followed a warning from Health Secretary Alan Johnson on Sunday that the flu could return later in the year and be far more serious.