The first cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the
UK with two members of the same family testing positive, the chief medical officer for
England has said.
They are being treated at a hospital in Newcastle, sources told the PA news agency, not in the Wirral area, where a special facility has been set up to quarantine Britons evacuated from Wuhan, in China.
In a statement, chief medical officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty, said 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 added: “The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread.Update on #Coronavirus:@CMO_England statement on two confirmed cases in England.▶️ https://t.co/lAQUTk8qm4pic.twitter.com/7p77OihKmv— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) January 31, 2020“We have been preparing for UK cases of novel coronavirus and we have robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately. We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the international community as the outbreak in
China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities.”
On Thursday evening the WHO declared coronavirus a global public health emergency.
More than 170 people have died in China and around 7,700 have been infected, with cases detected in countries including the US,
Japan and South Korea.
The new virus has now infected more people in China than fell ill during the 2002/03 severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak.
The number of cases has jumped to 7,711, surpassing the 5,327 people diagnosed with Sars. While coronavirus is more infections than Sars, it is not as deadly which killed 774 people.Related... Bat Soup, A Secret Vaccine, Thousands Dead? The Coronavirus Myths We Need To Shut Down Coronavirus Declared A Global Health Emergency By World Health Organisation I'm In China. Here's What's Really Happening As The Country Faces Coronavirus