Hunt for 2,000 passengers who flew in from Wuhan as coronavirus fears grow

PUBLIC health officials have teamed up with the Border Force to trace 2,000 airline passengers who flew into Britain from Wuhan, China, over the past fortnight, to check whether they are suffering symptoms of coronavirus.

In a significant escalation of measures to prevent the deadly virus from spreading in the UK, the Government said it would be tracking down those who could have been in the incubation period when they landed, but may have appeared free of symptoms.

Some may have already returned to China, including 15 students who flew into Britain on Jan 13 to work at Cambridge University, but have since flown home. Last night France reported two cases of the virus, the first to be confirmed in Europe, with one in Paris and another in Bordeaux. Scientific testing of the first 41 patients to be infected has concluded that the virus can spread from person to person.

China has now put 14 cities on lockdown, corralling almost 40 million people as authorities desperately try to demonstrate that they are in control of the outbreak ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations. All flights from Wuhan are suspended, but following a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee, Prof Chris Witty, the Chief Medical Officer, announced that a team of seven clinicians would be established at Heathrow to monitor people arriving from other parts of China.

The official death toll in China has risen to 26, with more than 830 confirmed cases. So far, 14 people tested for coronavirus in Britain have been given the all-clear, but there is a “handful” of new cases. An expert at Public Health England said it was “highly likely” that the virus would reach the UK.

Speaking after the Cobra meeting, chaired by Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, Prof Witty 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.”

When asked why no physical tests were carried out on arrivals into the UK before flights were stopped, Prof Witty said: “Every country does this slightly differently, that’s always been the case.”

The two French cases were announced by the country’s health minister, Agnes Buzyn. She said that both of the sick people had travelled to China.

Yesterday, Dr Paul Cosford, emeritus medical director for Public Health England, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There are no positive cases in the UK as yet, but we will go on testing… I think it’s highly likely that we will have cases in the UK.” All the people tested in the UK are thought to have visited Wuhan and four out five patients tested in Scotland were from China, Downing Street said.

Dr Cosford said anyone returning from China who experienced symptoms should contact NHS 111.

In two studies published in the medical journal The Lancet, Chinese scientists found the majority of cases affected healthy individuals, with less than a third of cases occurring in people with underlying medical conditions.

The World Health Organisation is still refusing to declare an international public health emergency, which some experts said was “surprising”.

Dr Stephen Griffin, associate professor at the University of Leeds, said: “The proportion of severe cases appears high. My hope is that this is not a decision that we might come to regret.”