Coronavirus ‘hysteria’ grips York students
Officials in hazmat suits were called to university accommodation in York yesterday amid “hysteria” after two cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the city. The false alarm at a block housing a large number of Chinese post-graduates came as hundreds of worried students inundated a helpline with calls. A further group of 11 people were en route to a quarantine unit in The Wirral last night after leaving Wuhan on a French-chartered flight, joining 83 who arrived on Friday.
OFFICIALS in hazmat suits were called to university accommodation in York yesterday amid “hysteria” after two cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the city.
The false alarm at a block housing a large number of Chinese postgraduates came as hundreds of worried students inundated a helpline with calls.
The university was forced to release a statement in support of its Chinese students and staff, warning of “false stories and rumours”.
It followed confirmation last week that a Chinese student and one relative had been taken to an isolation unit in Newcastle after falling ill with coronavirus – the first two confirmed cases in Britain.
A further group of 11 people were en route to a quarantine unit on the Wirral last night after leaving Wuhan on a French-chartered flight, joining 83 who arrived on Friday.
Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, said the Government would try to rescue Britons who remained in Wuhan, but added: “The challenge that we’ve got, and the Chinese have got frankly, is to contain the virus.”
Meanwhile, Public Health England (PHE), which is trying to track down more than 400 people who entered the UK from Wuhan in the past two weeks, called on returnees from the city or wider area to isolate themselves.
The overall death toll in China has passed 300, with one fatality reported in the Philippines.
Yesterday brought potential good news, however, as medics in Thailand claimed a breakthrough after treating a coronavirus patient with two antiviral drugs normally used for HIV.
The patient reportedly went from being in a “serious condition” to being disease-free in 48 hours.
Meanwhile, Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, announced that infectious disease experts will use £20million of government money to embark on an ambitious six-month plan to produce a vaccine. The investment will go to the Coalition for Episuits called to the Wentworth College accommodation by a student who was examined but judged not to be ill.
Alexandra Thompson, a student who lives in the block, said: “There seem to be a lot of students here who think the virus will appear at some point – I think people are a bit hysterical.”
More than 240 calls have been made to a dedicated helpline in York since the coronavirus cases were confirmed.
The calls have come from staff, students, parents and a small number of members of the public asking for information, a university spokesman said.
PHE said it was making “good progress” tracing people who may have come into contact with the two infected individuals, who had stayed at the Staycity apartments in York.
As of 2pm yesterday, the agency had carried out 264 tests in the UK, of which all but two were negative.
A spokesman said that of the 1,466 passengers and 95 staff who had arrived in the UK on direct flights from Wuhan between Jan 10-24, 162 passengers and 53 crew had left and 866 were now outside the incubation period.
The Government has issued advertisements advising people to use tissues when sneezing or coughing and to wash their hands regularly.
Mr Hancock said medics were working “round the clock” to prevent the spread of the illness, adding: “Basic hygiene such as washing our hands regularly and using tissues when we cough and sneeze can play an important role.”
The Foreign Office, which has withdrawn some staff from China, said it was continuing to work with EU countries to repatriate remaining Britons.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office (FCO) said: “The Government is … doing everything we can to bring them home as safely and quickly as possible.”
A statement from the University of York to its Chinese members said: “We want you to know that we understand how concerned you must feel not only for your own personal situation but of course also for your friends and family who may be impacted by coronavirus.
“We are also aware that the nature of medical issues such as this can often lead to false stories and rumours that are untrue.”