Third Brit diagnosed with coronavirus didn’t catch it in China
The third person in the UK to test positive for coronavirus did not catch it in mainland China, the chief medical officer has said.
They are believed to have caught it elsewhere in Asia before being diagnosed in Brighton.
Today they were being transferred to London to be treated.
Two other coronavirus patients are still being treated at the Royal Victoria Infirmary infectious diseases centre in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Professor Chris Whitty said of the case revealed today: ‘The patient is being transferred to a specialist NHS centre, and we are using robust infection control measures to prevent any possible further spread of the virus.
‘The NHS is well prepared to manage these cases and we are now working quickly to identify any contacts the patient has had.’
The University of Sussex, which has a large campus on the outskirts of Brighton, said in a statement the new case was not a student or member of staff from the university.
The Government has also announced that people with recent travel to Asia who go to their doctor with symptoms will be tested for coronavirus.
The Foreign Office in the UK has advised Britons in China to leave if they are able to.
In other developments, more than 80 UK citizens and family members who were the first to be quarantined at Arrow Park Hospital on the Wirral have been told they can leave next Thursday.
Th group are spending 14 days in isolation but will be released next week as long as they remain symptom-free.
Meanwhile, 78 people with British passports – including crew – are currently in quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, sources said.
Health workers in the port city of Yokohama said on Thursday that 10 more people on the Princess Cruises vessel had tested positive for the disease, in addition to 10 others on Wednesday when the ship was ordered to be isolated.
Sources have said that no British people on the ship have tested positive for coronavirus so far.
There are no plans to fly anyone off the ship and back to the UK at the moment.
The global death toll from coronavirus rose to 565 today, with the number of confirmed cases rising to 28,273. Some 260 cases have been recorded outside China.
Wuhan Coronavirus - is there a vaccine and what are the symptoms?
The novel coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, which has a population of 11m people, in December.
It has led to large parts of China being placed under quarantine, with flights and transport being grounded and Lunar New Year celebrations being cancelled as China attempts to prevent others from becoming infected.
Cases have also been reported in other parts of the world including Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand, Canada, the US, France and Germany.
Is there a vaccine for coronavirus?
At present there is no vaccine for coronavirus - although several different organisations are working to create one.
Those reported to be working on a potential vaccine include National Institutes of Health as well as other private companies including Inovio, Novavax, Johnson and Johnson and Moderna - the latter working directly with US government health agencies.
Despite all the combined efforts it could still be a while before a vaccine against the current coronavirus is ready.
A spokesman for the Institutes said that it could be a few months before the first clinical trials get underway, and a year or more before it's available.
Meanwhile Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who are also reported to be working on a vaccine, have said that if one were developed it would most likely be given to healthcare workers first due to their exposure to patients suffering from coronavirus.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
The early symptoms of the virus include a dry cough, a fever, shortness of breath and a sore throat.
While many of those affected have shown only mild symptoms, some have gone on to develop fluid in the lungs consistent with viral pneumonia.
The virus is more likely to progress into a severe illness or prove fatal among older patients or those with weakened immune systems.
There is no specific cure for the coronavirus - as it's a viral infection, antibiotics won't help.
The World Health Organisation has suggested avoiding close contact with anyone suffering from an acute respiratory infection and ensuing that coughs and sneezes are covered with disposable tissues or clothing.
They also recommend regular hand-washing as well as avoiding unprotected contact with wild or farm animals.
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