Coronavirus arrives in UK as two people test positive for deadly disease

The first case of deadly coronavirus that has so far killed more than 200 people in China has been confirmed in the UK.

Two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for the virus, Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Chris Whitty said.

The Department of Health has declined to say where in England the patients are from. It is understood they are not in the Wirral area, where a special facility has been set up to quarantine those returning from Wuhan.

In a statement, Mr 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.

‘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.

‘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 Organization and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities.’

Today, more than 80 British people will land in the UK from Wuhan, the central Chinese city considered to be the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.

More: Hospital waiting room evacuated over coronavirus fears
More: Where Brits will be quarantined for coronavirus
More: Last flight out of Wuhan brings Brits home

At least 213 people have died in China due to the outbreak – most in Hubei province – with almost 10,000 cases nationally.

Last night, the World Health Organisation declared coronavirus a global health emergency  and confirmed there are now 98 cases in 18 countries outside China, eight involving human-to-human transmission in Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the US.

Following the announcement, British medical officers increased the risk level in the UK from low to moderate.

More than 80 Britons on the evacuation flight out of Wuhan – the epicentre of the outbreak – are due to land in the UK this afternoon.

After several delays, the flight – chartered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) – left China at 9.45am local time on Friday, carrying 83 Britons and 27 non-UK nationals, mostly from EU countries.

The flight is expected to arrive at the Brize Norton RAF base in Oxfordshire around 1pm, the FCO said in a statement.

From there, the British passengers will be taken to an NHS facility on the Wirral for a quarantine period of 14 days.

It is understood they will be taken to a former student accommodation block in the grounds of Arrowe Park Hospital, where passengers will have access to the internet in order to contact relatives.

After the British passengers disembark in the UK, the flight will continue to Spain, where EU countries will process the non-British evacuees.

The government previously warned that those showing symptoms of coronavirus would not be allowed to board the plane for the UK.

Some UK citizens stranded in Wuhan with their families said earlier this week that they were faced with the gut wrenching decision of staying in the virus-hit city or leaving spouses behind.

Distraught dad Jeff Siddle, from Northumberland, will be catching a flight back to Britain without his wife Sindy after she was not offered a seat because she is a Chinese national.

Both the British Embassy and Foreign Office claimed the Chinese government has imposed restrictions on their own nationals, trapping them in the country in a bid to stop the virus spreading.

Mr Hancock said officials ‘could not be 100%’ certain the virus is not spread by people who are not displaying symptoms.

This week, China opened the doors of a new 1,000-bed hospital specifically to treat coronavirus victims.

The Dabie Mountain Regional Medical Centre started receiving patients at 10.30pm last night after workers spent just 48 hours converting it from an empty building.

More than 500 construction workers, electricians and police worked around the clock to open the hospital in the Huangzhou District.

It was originally intended to be a hospital that would open in May, but faced with the growing threat of the spread of the virus they managed to complete the task much sooner.

Meanwhile work is rapidly moving on a new hospital being built in Wuhan which is expected to be fully completed just 12 days after diggers first moved in.

New aerial pictures revealed how much thousands of workers have managed to get done on the hospital, which will open on February 3.

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.