First British national diagnosed with disease
A MIDDLE-aged man who went on a business trip to Singapore was last night identified as the first British national to contract coronavirus.
The businessman, who had recently flown back into the UK, went to an accident and emergency unit in Brighton and complained of feeling unwell.
Tests confirmed the man, who has not been named, had the coronavirus and he was transferred from the city’s Royal Sussex County Hospital to Guy’s and St Thomas’ infectious disease centre in central London.
He is the first British national to test positive for the disease and the UK’s third case so far, with two others being treated in Newcastle.
Last night the UK’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, issued new advice to the public and doctors to be wary of coronavirus, even if they haven’t been to China. He listed eight other ‘target’ countries where patients are at risk of being infected.
As health officials rushed to track down anyone who had recently come into close contact with the infected man:
The number of global coronavirus cases soared to 28,265, with 565 deaths;
A diplomatic row broke out between the UK and China after the Chinese ambassador accused Britain of overreacting;
Asian students in Leicestershire were targeted in racist attacks thought to have been triggered by the virus outbreak.
The new advice applies to anyone who has travelled to Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau – as well as China – within the last 14 days. Professor Whitty said yesterday: ‘We knew this ratchet-up might well happen and this is the moment where we feel it’s prudent... to make this shift. Unsurprisingly countries where the greatest risk is in terms of new cases are the ones which have the greatest international traffic with China.’
Professor Whitty would not give specific details about the third case but said: ‘The patient is being transferred to a specialist NHS centre, and we are using robust infection control measures to prevent any possible further spread of the virus.’ Government sources later confirmed that the businessman had turned up at the Brighton hospital on Sunday night with a fever and a bad cough. Doctors placed him in a side-room and took swabs to be sent off for diagnoses, restricting the number of staff with whom he had contact. Once the results came back yesterday he was transferred 90km to the high-consequence infectious diseases centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’. Two other patients thought to be Chinese nationals – who were diagnosed in York last week – are being treated in another specialist unit in Newcastle.
Although Professor Whitty would not divulge whether any of the three were seriously ill, he stressed that most make a full recovery.
The outbreak has triggered racist attacks in Britain and some Asian people say passengers are moving away from them on public transport.
On Wednesday two boys who are students at Brooke House College in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, were pelted with eggs. Principal Mike Oliver said the attack was prompted by the coronavirus scare.