What happens to UK coronavirus patients after deadly disease is confirmed?
by Zoe DrewettThe first cases of killer coronavirus have been confirmed in two patients in the UK.
A frantic search is now underway to find anyone who may have come into contact with the patients – who are members of the same family.
The pair are now in isolation and being treated by a specialist infectious disease team in Newcastle after being diagnosed and transferred there overnight.
The Department of Health has so far declined to say where in England the patients are from.
What happens now?
Authorities have said the NHS is ‘extremely well-prepared’ for cases of the Wuhan novel coronavirus.
Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Chris Whitty said: ‘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.’
The new strain of coronavirus – which experts are calling Wuhan coronavirus – is classified as a High Consequence Infectious Disease in the UK.
Public Health England has a range of procedures in place for High Consequence Infectious Diseases.
After coronavirus is confirmed:
Once a patient has been confirmed to have coronavirus they will be transferred to one of four treatment centres around the UK.
They are run by:
- Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust in London
- The Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust in London
- Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool
- Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust in Newcastle
When a patient arrives for treatment:
Once admitted, patients will be kept in total isolation.
They will be treated by a specialist team who will be wearing protective clothing at all times.
Medics in the UK and abroad have been seen treating potential coronavirus patients in hazmat suits.
There will also be a heavy restriction put on patients’ movement while being treated on quarantined wards.
Stopping the spread:
Anybody who has been found to have had contact with the patients will need to be located and tested.
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Has anything like this ever happened before?
Yes. In April 2009, passengers returning from trips to Mexico were the first in the UK to be diagnosed with swine flu.
The virus peaked in July, with the Health Protection Agency reporting more than 100,000 estimated cases worldwide.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
The early symptoms of the Wuhan Coronavirus include a dry cough, a high temperature or fever, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing and a sore throat.
While many of those affected have shown only mild symptoms, scans on some patients have shown fluid in the lungs which is consistent with viral pneumonia.
WHO have advised that older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease seem to be more vulnerable to becoming ‘severely ill’.
For more information visit the WHO website.
The World Health Organisation advises people to regularly wash their hands, cover their mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing and thoroughly cook meat and eggs.
What is the coronavirus and where did it start?
Coronaviruses are a family of diseases which include the common cold and the virus which caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which originated in China in 2002 and killed nearly 800 people around the world.
The virus causing concern now is a new strain which has made the jump from animals to people.
It causes flu-like symptoms and can make it hard for people to breathe, causing viral pneumonia in severe cases.
Over 100 people worldwide have now died after contracting the illness.
The virus is more likely to progress into a severe illness or prove fatal among older patients or those with weakened immune systems.
As it is a viral illness, antibiotics will not help and there is no known cure or vaccine.
What are the symptoms of the virus? .
The Foreign Office has warned against all but essential travel to mainland China, and British Airways has subsequently suspended flights there.
They have not advised against travel to Thailand and Japan, which have both seen cases of the virus, but warned there are enhanced quarantine procedures at entry points to Japan such as airports and ports.
If you’re booked onto a flight with BA and are scheduled to fly between January 26 – February 23, you can request a refund.
In order to do this, get in touch with them directly through the BA website.
They also offer the option to rebook to the same destination, although it is not known when flights to mainland China will resume.
Can I get a refund on my BA flights?
Is it safe to travel to Thailand?
Is it safe to travel to Japan as the coronavirus spreads?
To avoid the illness, take usual hygiene precautions, such as using a tissue to cover coughs and sneezes, and making sure to wash your hands.
Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth after touching things like poles on public transport and avoid close contact with people suffering an acute respiratory infection.
You should also avoid unprotected contact with wild or farm animals.
So far, no cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the UK.
Almost 100 people have been tested for it here, with all of the tests coming back negative.
How many people in the UK have it?
The virus originated in the city of Wuhan in China, where it is believed to have made the jump from animals to people at a seafood market.
Wuhan is the capital of China’s Hubei province, a landlocked province in central China.
It is built along the Yangtze river, and is around 500 miles west of Shanghai and 690 miles north of Hong Kong.
It is the largest and most populous city in central China, although estimates over its population vary.