More UK checks for coronavirus
ALL 14 people tested for coronavirus in the UK have been given the all-clear, but checks were ongoing on other people, the Chief Medical Officer for England has said.
Professor Chris Whitty spoke following a meeting of the Government’s Cobra emergency committee in Whitehall, chaired by Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
All the people tested in the UK are thought to have visited Wuhan – the Chinese city where the outbreak originated.
Four out of five patients tested in Scotland were from China, Downing Street said.
In a statement, Professor Whitty said: “I am working closely with the other UK chief medical officers.
“We all agree that the risk to the UK public remains low, but there may well be cases in the UK at some stage.
“We have tried-and-tested measures in place to respond. The UK is well prepared for these types of incidents, with excellent readiness against infectious diseases.
“We have global experts monitoring the situation around the clock and have a strong track record of managing new forms of infectious disease.
“The UK has access to some of the best infectious disease and public health experts in the world.
“A public health hub will be set up in Heathrow from today.
“This consists of clinicians and other public health officials, in addition to existing port health measures.”
He said: “We think there’s a fair chance we may get some cases over time.
“Of course this depends on whether this continues for a long time, or whether this turns out to be something which is brought under control relatively quickly.”
He added: “I think we should definitely see this as a marathon, not a sprint, we need to have our entire response based on that principle.”
One of those cleared of the virus was Michael Hope, 45, who spent two days in quarantine this week after returning to Newcastle from Wuhan.
As he left the Cabinet Office after the Cobra meeting, Matt Hancock said the risk to the UK public “remains low”.
Meanwhile, the official death toll in China has risen to 26, with more than 830 confirmed cases.
The Chinese city of Wuhan is rapidly building a new 1,000-bed hospital to treat victims, while Disneyland Shanghai and parts of the Great Wall of China have been closed to visitors.
Reuters reported that hospitals in Wuhan are struggling to cope due to medical shortages.
Almost 30 million people and 10 cities in China are now facing travel restrictions.
Earlier yesterday, Professor Paul Cosford, emeritus medical director at Public Health England, said that it was still “early days” in the course of the virus, but stressed that most of those affected abroad are making a good recovery.
But he added it is “highly likely” that cases would be seen in the UK.