Everything you need to know about coronavirus
SHOULD WE BE WORRIED ABOUT THE RAPIDLY SPREADING OUTBREAK HERE IN THE UK? WE ANSWER SOME OF THE COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
THE coronavirus outbreak has seen headlines spread across the globe, while the Chinese city where the infection originated is still locked down. So what do we know about the illness and how concerned should we be? We take a closer look...
WHAT IS CORONAVIRUS?
FIRST reported in the city of Wuhan, in eastern China, the illness comes from a new coronavirus, not previously identified in humans, that Chinese health officials said had spread from human to human and may be mutating.
Coronaviruses make up a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars).
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
FEVER, sneezing, coughing and difficulty breathing.
WHO HAS BEEN AFFECTED SO FAR?
THE majority of cases are in Wuhan – which has a population of 11 million people.
It has gone into lockdown, with authorities suspending planes and trains in and out of the city.
At the time of writing, the death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 106. There were 769 new cases confirmed on Sunday, and the total number of people confirmed as being infected stands at 4,500..
WHO IS MOST AT RISK?
MOST of those who have died had underlying health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes or cardiovascular disease, that weakened their immune systems.
HAVE THERE BEEN CASES REPORTED IN COUNTRIES OTHER THAN CHINA?
THERE have been five reported cases in Hong Kong and two in Macau. Other cases have also been found in Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the US, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, France,
Canada, Australia and more recently Germany.
HAVE THERE BEEN ANY UK CASES?
THERE are currently no confirmed cases. As of January 26, 52 UK tests had been done, all proved negative.
WHAT IS THE UK RISK?
THE current risk to the public remains low, the Department of Health (DoH) has said, adding that the Government is continuing to monitor the situation closely.
But Professor Paul Cosford, emeritus medical director at Public Health England (PHE), said it was “highly likely” that cases would be seen in the UK.
He said: “We will not be surprised if people return from China to the UK with the infection, the important thing is that if you are one of those people and you develop symptoms you get in touch quickly.
“We are testing anybody who meets the criteria. The numbers aren’t the important thing, the important thing is that anybody who has been to Wuhan in the last 14 days and has symptoms, respiratory symptoms that could represent this virus... that we ask them to phone NHS 111 and then we can arrange any appropriate testing.”
Health officials are continuing to track down around 2,000 people who have recently flown into the UK from Wuhan.
The DoH confirmed it is trying to find “as many passengers as we can” who arrived from the region in the past two weeks to check on their wellbeing.
Unless you have recently travelled to China or been in contact with someone infected with the virus, you should treat any cough or cold symptoms as normal.
HOW PREPARED IS THE UK FOR CASES?
HEALTH Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK is one of the first countries to develop a test for coronavirus and it is “always well prepared for these type of outbreaks”.
If cases are confirmed, patients will be taken to an airborne high consequences infectious disease centre.
HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO PREVIOUS OUTBREAKS?
SEVERAL experts say the new coronavirus appears to be less severe than its predecessors.
Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, said typical flu epidemics can kill tens of thousands of people, but previous new coronavirus outbreaks have led to fewer deaths.
For example, severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) killed about 800 people, while Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) led to about 450 deaths.
Prof Hunter said: “This new strain seems to be rather less lethal than the previous two outbreaks, however this could still change.
“All new outbreaks are worrying, especially in the early weeks when it is not clear how the outbreak could progress.
“I think it unlikely that the Wuhan coronavirus will cause a major public health issue in the UK, in large part because of our existing health system.”