Forth Valley patient is first in the area to be tested positive for COVID-19... Lecturer at Stirling college is put into isolation after returning from abroad... Number of Scottish cases continues to rise as health board chiefs battle to prevent a... CORO
A patient in the Forth Valley area tested positive for the coronavirus yesterday as it was revealed that a Stirling college lecturer is in isolation after returning from overseas.
Health chiefs confirmed yesterday morning that someone from the board area is being treated for the deadly virus.
The infected person is said to have been in contact with another known to have disease.
NHS bosses say the patient’s location can’t be disclosed but assure they have contacted all those who may be at risk of catching the virus from them.
A spokeswoman for NHS Forth Valley said: “Our health protection team have already identified all those who have been in close contact with the Forth Valley confirmed case (close contact involves either face-to-face contact or spending more than 15 minutes within two metres of an infected person).
“If you have not been contacted directly then you are not at any potential risk.”
It also emerged yesterday that a Forth Valley College lecturer has gone into isolation. It is thought they recently returned from Italy where a total of 107 people have been killed by the coronavirus.
The lecturer, who is based at the Stirling campus, made the decision to self-isolate, without being formally diagnosed, to reduce the risk of passing the virus on to students.
A spokesperson for the college said: “The staff member in question is no longer in college and we are liaising with our local health protection team in regards to the necessary actions and precautionary measures required.
“We are currently operating as normal, however, we will continue to review the situation in line with the local health protection team to ensure the safety of our staff and students which, as always, is a top priority.”
Stirling University said yesterday it is monitoring the situation and has an action plan in place. A spokesperson said communications have been issued to students and staff encouraging them to follow the advice of NHS Scotland and the Foreign Office.
A total of three new Scottish cases were confirmed yesterday – Forth Valley, Grampian and Greater Glasgow – bringing the Scottish tally to six. There are 90 cases UK-wide.
We told you this week that the health board has set up a coronavirus testing facility at Lochview Hospital in Larbert for those who contact NHS 24 or GP complaining of symptoms.
The board said it has plans to introduce testing in the community, if the number of local cases rise.
But concern is already being felt locally with people panic buying hand sanitiser leading to
Stirling city centre pharmacies selling out. Shelves have been emptied in Superdrug and Bodycare and sales limited to two per customer in Boots in the Thistles Centre. Scotland’s chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood confirmed that all six Scottish patients are currently clinically well and are receiving appropriate care.
Dr Calderwood said: “With all these cases, our thoughts are with those diagnosed and their families.
“Scotland is well equipped to deal with this kind of infection and we are doing everything we can to contain the virus at this stage and minimise the risk to the public.
“Clinicians are now conducting contact tracing, the process of gathering details of the places those who have tested positive visited and the people they have been in contact with. “The risk is very low in situations where someone may have passed a patient on the street or in a shop. “Health protection teams will contact those who are at risk from the current cases – those who are not contacted are not at risk.
“We can all play our part to limit the spread of the virus by washing our hands frequently for 20 seconds as well as always carrying tissues and using them to catch coughs and sneezes, then putting the tissue in a bin, and don’t touch your face.”
A spokesman for Stirling Council quashed rumours that face masks are to be delivered to local schools and said: “We continue to monitor events closely and, as our risk and resilience planning involves looking ahead, we are considering how the NHS advice relates to school trips.
“We are not ordering face masks for schools as the NHS advice does not make that recommendation.”
Up-to-date information and advice can be found on NHS Inform https://www. nhsinform.scot/coronavirus and if you have any questions or concerns you can contact the NHS 24 helpline on 0800 028 2816 for advice.