A FIFTH person in NSW with swine flu has died, and 32 others are in intensive care.

A 55-year-old man with underlying medical conditions who died in St George Hospital in southern Sydney on Saturday had tested positive to the disease, NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said.

"This morning 32 people with confirmed H1N1 were reported to be receiving intensive care,'' Dr Chant said.

Since the epidemic began in NSW, 382 people had been admitted to hospital with swine flu, she said.

Pregnant women, the very overweight, and people with underlying health conditions such as diabetes or lung, heart or kidney disease should consult their doctors if they developed a flu-like illness, Dr Chant said.

"For the majority of people, influenza is a mild illness which can be managed at home,'' she said.

"However, seasonal flu and H1N1 influenza 09 (swine flu) can occasionally result in severe disease, even in people who have been previously well.''

Dr Chant said 2195 people had now tested positive for swine flu in NSW.

But this was only a small proportion of those infected because testing was no longer routinely recommended except for patients in hospital.