First two cases of coronavirus in UK were staying in York
Written by News on 31/01/2020
The first two people in the UK confirmed to have the coronoavirus had been staying in York when they became ill, Public Health England (PHE) has said.
It is understood they recently travelled to the UK from China.
On Wednesday night, the StayCity apartment-hotel in York was put on lockdown when some family members, believed to be Chinese nationals, were taken to hospital after falling ill.
Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said: “We can confirm that two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus.
“The patients are receiving specialist NHS care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus.”
He said they were being treated at a specialist infectious diseases unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, and said PHE had upgraded the risk to the public from “low” to “moderate” due to the changing global picture.
One person has been confirmed as being infected with the virus in Sweden.
Of the 177 tests in the UK, only two have been positive.
Prof Whitty said the two cases do not increase the risk to the UK and that the virus remains “moderately transmissible” and currently has a 2% mortality rate – considerably lower than the outbreaks of Ebola (70%) and SARS (10%).
He said the NHS is “extremely well-prepared” with “robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately”, and was already working rapidly to contain the virus by tracing people the two patients have been in contact with.
“Nevertheless, if we got very large numbers that is obviously a concern and this would be something we would have to take very seriously,” he said.
Prof Whitty added: “We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organisation and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities.”
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals’ NHS Foundation Trust said other patients and visitors at the hospital should not be worried and should attend appointments as usual.
A statement read: “We are currently treating patients with a respiratory illness known as coronavirus.
“Our hospital is one of five highly specialised infectious diseases units capable of dealing with this illness.”
It comes just hours after the WHO declared the outbreak a global health emergency, and said the spread of the virus outside China was a key factor behind its decision.
Its director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “This is the time for facts, not fear. This is time for science, not rumours. This is the time for solidarity, not stigma.”
Meanwhile, a chartered flight carrying 83 Britons from Wuhan – the epicentre of the outbreak in Hubei province in China – arrived in the UK.
An image from inside the aircraft, which also has 27 foreign nationals on board, appeared to show several empty seats – suggesting not all those the British government had anticipated evacuating from the Chinese city had made the flight.
Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said Britain would send another plane to Wuhan to rescue British citizens if necessary.
He told Sky News: “The flight which is in the air at the moment is not the end of our efforts. It is only one part that we are doing in order to keep people safe.
“We will do everything we can to ensure that every UK citizen, every UK national, every member of their family is contacted, supported.
“If we need to, we will send another plane. We will be working with other countries to ensure the safety and security of every UK citizen and national.”
The aircraft landed at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, from where the British nationals were taken by coach to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, Merseyside, where a special facility has been set up for them to be quarantined for 14 days.
It is understood the other passengers will be flown on to their respective countries.
Deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries said everyone on the plane “is a well passenger” but if they were to show symptoms of the virus procedures are in place to “isolate” them and “remove them” at any time from the flight.
She said all passengers had thermographic screening before boarding the plane and were subject to ongoing questioning and continuous risk assessment during the journey.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said the virus outbreak would be discussed by the cabinet.
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A total of 213 people have been killed by the virus in China where there have been more than 9,800 cases reported, as authorities around the world work to prevent a global pandemic.
There is no vaccine for the new viral infection, which can cause pneumonia and can be passed from person to person.
The symptoms include fever, coughing and difficulty breathing.
Though the origin of the virus has yet to be identified, the WHO has said the primary source is probably an animal.
The virus originated in the Chinese central city of Wuhan at the end of last year and has since spread to every province across mainland China.
A total of 98 cases have been found in another 21 countries including the US, Taiwan, South Korea, Russia, Japan, Thailand, France, Australia, Germany, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.
Airports around the world have stepped up screening of travellers arriving from affected regions.
Measures are also in force in the UK to guard against the virus, including taking aircraft to a special designated area of Heathrow’s Terminal 4.
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