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China coronavirus: three tested for virus in UK as first death confirmed outside Hubei province - live news China coronavirus: six tested for virus in UK as first death confirmed outside Hubei province - live news
(32 minutes later)
Patient in Hebei has died; possible cases in Scotland come as World Health Organisation committee meets for second day over China virusPatient in Hebei has died; possible cases in Scotland come as World Health Organisation committee meets for second day over China virus
What we know so far: The World Health Organisation’s emergency committee has concluded it is “too early” to declare an international public health emergency over the coronavirus outbreak.
Five people in Scotland are being tested for coronavirus as a precaution, the Scottish government said.
A Scottish government spokeswoman confirmed that two people diagnosed with flu were now being tested for the virus while three others are also being tested on a precautionary basis.
At least three of the patients are believed to be Chinese nationals.
The spokesperson said: “There are currently no confirmed cases of coronavirus (WN Co-V) in Scotland and the risk to the Scottish public remains low.
“Following travel to Wuhan, China, two people confirmed as diagnosed with influenza are now being tested for Wuhan Novel Coronavirus as a precautionary measure only. Three further people are also undergoing testing on a similar precautionary basis.
“As the situation develops we will update should there be any confirmed cases of coronavirus, rather than provide a running update on cases being considered on a precautionary basis.”
Universities UK, the representative organisation for the sector, said: “UK universities with students in affected areas have been closely monitoring the coronavirus situation as it unfolds and will follow the latest FCO advice.
“We can confirm that this afternoon Universities UK International was in contact with Public Health England to discuss how we can support them in getting communications to our members.”
The National Union of Students also said it will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Hi, I’m Nadeem Badshah, taking over from my colleague Damien Gayle. Here’s where we are so far:
Latest official figures say the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in China is at least 633, and 18 people have died. Chinese authorities have put five cities on lockdown measures – Wuhan, Huanggang, Ezhou, Chibi and Zhijiang.Latest official figures say the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in China is at least 633, and 18 people have died. Chinese authorities have put five cities on lockdown measures – Wuhan, Huanggang, Ezhou, Chibi and Zhijiang.
The virus was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 31 December 2019.The virus was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 31 December 2019.
WHO says the outbreak was caused by a previously unknown type of coronavirus, a broad family of infections ranging from the common cold to more serious illnesses like severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars).WHO says the outbreak was caused by a previously unknown type of coronavirus, a broad family of infections ranging from the common cold to more serious illnesses like severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars).
Patients report a fever, cough and other symptoms of pneumonia.Patients report a fever, cough and other symptoms of pneumonia.
Coronaviruses mostly infect animals, but can mutate and jump to humans, and then human-to-human transmission is possible. Chinese authorities have confirmed that the virus is being passed directly from human to human. It appears to have originated in a seafood and meat market in Wuhan, and preliminary research suggests the virus was passed to humans from snakes.Coronaviruses mostly infect animals, but can mutate and jump to humans, and then human-to-human transmission is possible. Chinese authorities have confirmed that the virus is being passed directly from human to human. It appears to have originated in a seafood and meat market in Wuhan, and preliminary research suggests the virus was passed to humans from snakes.
Three people in Scotland are being tested for the virus after travelling to Wuhan. Meanwhile, the UK health secretary said authorities were well-prepared to deal with a potential outbreak.Three people in Scotland are being tested for the virus after travelling to Wuhan. Meanwhile, the UK health secretary said authorities were well-prepared to deal with a potential outbreak.
Cases have also been reported in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and the US. Major airports are screening international arrivals from the region. Patients in all these cases were either residents of Wuhan or recent visitors to the city. An Indian nurse working in Saudi Arabia has also been confirmed to be infected, and two Chinese citizens in Vietnam have tested positive.Cases have also been reported in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and the US. Major airports are screening international arrivals from the region. Patients in all these cases were either residents of Wuhan or recent visitors to the city. An Indian nurse working in Saudi Arabia has also been confirmed to be infected, and two Chinese citizens in Vietnam have tested positive.
Beijing has cancelled a number of major public events and restricted tourist access in the city in an attempt to contain the spread of the outbreak.Beijing has cancelled a number of major public events and restricted tourist access in the city in an attempt to contain the spread of the outbreak.
There are not any medicines or vaccines developed specifically to tackle the Wuhan virus but experts in Davos announced on Thursday that scientists were working on one.There are not any medicines or vaccines developed specifically to tackle the Wuhan virus but experts in Davos announced on Thursday that scientists were working on one.
A spokesman for Boris Johnson said the government will keep the coronavirus situation under continuous review.A spokesman for Boris Johnson said the government will keep the coronavirus situation under continuous review.
Stocks fell on Wall Street in midday trading Thursday as investors worried that a deadly virus outbreak in China could continue spreading and hurt the global economy, the Associated Press reports.Stocks fell on Wall Street in midday trading Thursday as investors worried that a deadly virus outbreak in China could continue spreading and hurt the global economy, the Associated Press reports.
Banks and other financial companies led the losses. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 1.72% from 1.77% late Wednesday. Financial institutions rely on higher bond yields to set lucrative interest rates on mortgages and other loans. Bank of America fell 1.5%.Banks and other financial companies led the losses. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 1.72% from 1.77% late Wednesday. Financial institutions rely on higher bond yields to set lucrative interest rates on mortgages and other loans. Bank of America fell 1.5%.
Health care stocks also broadly fell. Edwards LifeSciences, which makes heart valves, slipped 5.6%.Health care stocks also broadly fell. Edwards LifeSciences, which makes heart valves, slipped 5.6%.
Crude oil prices slumped and weighed on energy stocks. Exxon Mobil fell 1.5%.Crude oil prices slumped and weighed on energy stocks. Exxon Mobil fell 1.5%.
Utilities and real estate companies held onto slight gains as investors shifted money into the safe-play sectors.Utilities and real estate companies held onto slight gains as investors shifted money into the safe-play sectors.
Three people in Scotland are being tested for suspected coronavirus after travelling to the country from Wuhan in China, Sarah Boseley reports.Three people in Scotland are being tested for suspected coronavirus after travelling to the country from Wuhan in China, Sarah Boseley reports.
A statement from the Scottish government said there were three suspect cases.A statement from the Scottish government said there were three suspect cases.
“Following travel to Wuhan, China, two people confirmed as diagnosed with influenza are now being tested for Wuhan novel coronavirus as a precautionary measure only. A third person is also currently undergoing testing on a similar precautionary basis,” said a government spokesman.“Following travel to Wuhan, China, two people confirmed as diagnosed with influenza are now being tested for Wuhan novel coronavirus as a precautionary measure only. A third person is also currently undergoing testing on a similar precautionary basis,” said a government spokesman.
“There are currently no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK and the risk to the Scottish public remains low.”“There are currently no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK and the risk to the Scottish public remains low.”
Tests are being undertaken to rule out coronavirus at a hospital in Belfast, PA Media reports.Tests are being undertaken to rule out coronavirus at a hospital in Belfast, PA Media reports.
It is understood a patient did arrive at the Royal Victoria in the west of the city showing symptoms which may or may not be associated with the condition but it will be some time before results are returned.It is understood a patient did arrive at the Royal Victoria in the west of the city showing symptoms which may or may not be associated with the condition but it will be some time before results are returned.
The Belfast Health Trust, which runs services in the city, was unable to make any comment. The Public Health Agency (PHA) also declined to comment.The Belfast Health Trust, which runs services in the city, was unable to make any comment. The Public Health Agency (PHA) also declined to comment.
There is no suggestion at this stage that the patient has coronavirus.There is no suggestion at this stage that the patient has coronavirus.
The Royal is Northern Ireland’s largest hospital and a centre for many medical specialisms.The Royal is Northern Ireland’s largest hospital and a centre for many medical specialisms.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has followed the UK foreign office in warning people to avoid all non-essential to Wuhan, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak.The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has followed the UK foreign office in warning people to avoid all non-essential to Wuhan, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak.
CDC raised its travel alert for the coronavirus outbreak to a level 3.CDC raised its travel alert for the coronavirus outbreak to a level 3.
The agency earlier this week said it expects to see more cases of the Wuhan coronavirus in the United States and announced plans to expand screening to airports in Atlanta and Chicago.The agency earlier this week said it expects to see more cases of the Wuhan coronavirus in the United States and announced plans to expand screening to airports in Atlanta and Chicago.
China’s Hebei provincial health authority said a patient infected with the new coronavirus has died, marking the first confirmed death outside Hubei province where the outbreak began.China’s Hebei provincial health authority said a patient infected with the new coronavirus has died, marking the first confirmed death outside Hubei province where the outbreak began.
The Health Commission of Hebei Province said in a statement dated Thursday that the patient, 80, died on Wednesday but was not confirmed to have been infected with the virus until Thursday, Reuters reports.The Health Commission of Hebei Province said in a statement dated Thursday that the patient, 80, died on Wednesday but was not confirmed to have been infected with the virus until Thursday, Reuters reports.
The death toll from the outbreak now stands at 18.The death toll from the outbreak now stands at 18.
Airports around the world are implementing screening checks for passengers with potential coronavirus infections.
Italy received its latest direct flight from Wuhan on Thursday morning, with 202 passengers directed through a special “health channel” at Rome’s Fiumicino airport, where they were subject to body temperature checks.
The Italian health ministry had announced the special measures a day before.
“The health checks arranged by the health ministry at Fiumicino airport on the 202 passengers and the crew that arrived in Rome this morning on a flight from Wuhan were all negative,” Carlo Racani, the health director for the Rome airports company told ANSA.
“They are all well”.
A number of universities in Scotland have student exchange arrangements with Chinese institutions, Libby Brooks reports.
Glasgow University has a partnership agreement with the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan, where the current outbreak began, with 23 students currently studying at Glasgow on that programme. The university issued guidance to its students yesterday to follow the advice being issued on the Coronavirus outbreak, adding: “We are conscious that our students may have family and friends in the locality and our thoughts are with anyone who may have been affected”.
Dundee University also has a joint education partnership with the University of Wuhan, with 34 students currently studying in Scotland.
A spokesperson for the Dundee University said: “There have been no health concerns raised among that group but we will continue to monitor the situation closely.” Five staff members returned from a visit to Wuhan last week, but again, the spokesperson said that “no health concerns have been raised at this time”.
A spokesman for the University of Dundee told PA it had issued advice to students recently in China and said they should be careful if receiving items, especially food, from areas where the virus is present.
Professor Juergen Haas, the specialist in infectious diseases at the University of Edinburgh, who confirmed the Scottish tests, explained: “Here at the University of Edinburgh we have more than 2,000 students from China and they are always coming and going back to China so we are relatively sure we will have cases in the UK from travellers coming back from China.”
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has updated its advice for Britons planning to travel to China, warning against “all but essential travel to Wuhan.”
The FCO’s advice, updated yesterday and still current, says:
That Public Health England advice linked to in the above quote announced that screening measures were being put in place for passengers arriving in Heathrow from the thrice-weekly direct flights between the UK and Wuhan.
Top experts on infectious diseases have held a hastily-arranged press conference on the Coronavirus at the World Economic Forum this afternoon, reports Graeme Wearden in Davos.
Jeremy Farrar of the Wellcome Trust gave reporters a swift explanation -- about how the virus probably jumped from bats to humans at a market in Wutan, before then starting to spread between humans.
The fact the virus spreads between humans through the respiratory route makes it particularly serious, Farrar explained; experts have been worrying about this happening for some time. Farrar said:
Farrar, who says he’s “very concerned” about the situation, also warned against thinking of it as a China-only problem:
Richard Hatchett, Chief Executive Officer of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovations (CEPI), announced that three new partnerships with vaccine producers have just been agreed (see previous post).
Hatchett and Farrar both spoke about the importance of using non-pharmaceutical interventions, until a vaccine is developed. That includes public health measures -- hand-washing, keeping people apart, masks, and travel restrictions.
Farrar’s hunch is that the coronavirus will have a lower mortality rate than the SARS epidemic 28 years ago, which killed 788 people. But if it spreads faster and further than SARS, and isn’t controlled in time, then the death toll could be higher than SARS. But there’s a lot of uncertainty.
He reminded reporters that the influenza epidemic a century ago had a low mortality rate, but killed 50m people because it spread so far.
There’s more in our Davos liveblog:
Three separate research teams backed by a global coalition set up to fight epidemic diseases are to start work on developing potential vaccines against the new coronavirus that has caused a disease outbreak in China, Reuters reports.
But it has to be said that there are no vaccines against either SARS or MERS yet, so perhaps they are being a little ambitious.
Five Chinese cities have been put on lockdown and Beijing has cancelled a number of major public events in an attempt to contain the spread of a deadly coronavirus outbreak.
Authorities banned transport links from Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, on Thursday morning, suspending buses, subways, ferries and shutting the airport and train stations to outgoing passengers. Later in the day, the nearby central Chinese cities of Huanggang, Ezhou and Chiba also announced traffic restrictions to prevent residents from leaving.
Starting at midnight, long-distance buses, the rapid transit system, and train station in Huanggang would be shut, according to a notice from the local government. Movie theatres, internet cafes, and other entertainment venues would all stop operating. Residents should not leave the city, except for “special reasons”.
What is the virus causing illness in Wuhan?
It is a novel coronavirus – that is to say, a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before.
What are the symptoms caused by the Wuhan coronavirus?
The virus causes pneumonia. Those who have fallen ill are reported to suffer coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use.
Is the virus being transmitted from one person to another?
Human-to-human transmission has been confirmed by China’s national health commission, although it does not appear to be happening easily as was the case with Sars. As of 23 January the Chinese authorities had acknowledged 517 cases and 17 deaths. The virus has also been confirmed outside China, in the US, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan.
How worried are the experts?
There are fears that the coronavirus may spread more widely during the week-long lunar new year holidays, which start on 24 January, when millions of Chinese people travel home to celebrate. At the moment, it appears that people in poor health are at greatest risk, as is always the case with flu.
Should we panic?
No.
This is a very truncated version of a much more detailed coronavirus explainer running elsewhere on the site. Read more here:
In case you have not been following the story of the coronavirus outbreak, here is an outline of the past three weeks of developments, since first reports began emerging from China at the beginning of the month.
It is around three weeks since the first cases emerged in Wuhan, east China of an unexplained viral pneumonia, sparking fears of a recurrence of the Sars outbreak of 2002-03 that killed more than 700 people.
By 5 January, 59 suspected cases of the new outbreak had been diagnosed, with the most common symptom being fever, and shortness of breath and lung infections appearing in a smaller number of cases. People were being isolated while they received treatment.
Most of the cases were of workers, handlers or frequent visitors to one food market in Wuhan city, the Huanan South China Seafood Market. On 11 January, the disease claimed its first victim, a 61-year-old man who was a regular buyer at the Huanan market.
As alarm spread, the World Health Organization said a newly emerging member of the family of viruses that caused the deadly outbreaks of Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) could be the cause of the outbreak. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause infections ranging from the common cold to Sars. Some of the virus types cause less serious disease, while some like the one that causes Mers are far more severe
The outbreak came at a particularly mobile time for Chinese people, with millions on the move to be with loved ones for the lunar new year, so it was inevitable that the virus would spread. The first case outside China was detected in Thailand on 14 January, in a woman who had travelled to the country from China. Japan confirmed its first case two days later, but as recently as last weekend – and despite a second death in China from the virus – no screening was taking place in airports in the UK or Australia.
On Tuesday US and Australian health officials announced their first domestic cases, at the same time as Chinese doctors confirmed human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus and airports around the world began introducing screening checks for visitors from affected regions.
At first minister’s questions this morning, Nicola Sturgeon gave assurances that the Scottish government and its health protection agency were closely monitoring the situation. She said:
Welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.
In the latest developments, three people in Scotland are being tested for the virus, as the World Health Organization’s emergency committee meets for a second day to decide whether to categorise the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern.
The head of infection medicine at the University of Edinburgh, Prof Jürgen Haas, said he believed there would be many more cases from other cities in the UK. He said three suspected cases were in Edinburgh and the other was believed to be in Glasgow.
Tests are being carried out and none of the patients have yet been confirmed as having the virus. They all travelled to Scotland from Wuhan in China, where the outbreak is thought to have originated, within the past two weeks and are showing symptoms of respiratory trouble – a red flag for the virus.