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China coronavirus: 14 test negative in UK as military doctors sent to Wuhan – live news China coronavirus: 14 test negative in UK as military doctors sent to Wuhan – as it happened
(about 1 hour later)
UK emergency committee to discuss outbreak as more than 33 million people affected by lockdown measures in China UK emergency committee discuss outbreak as more than 33 million people affected by lockdown measures in China
The number of people infected by coronavirus in China has risen to 830 with 26 having died.The number of people infected by coronavirus in China has risen to 830 with 26 having died.
Wuhan, the Chinese centre of the outbreak, has begun building a 1,000-bed hospital scheduled to be completed in just six days to treat victims of the epidemic amid concerns about shortages of beds and equipment.Wuhan, the Chinese centre of the outbreak, has begun building a 1,000-bed hospital scheduled to be completed in just six days to treat victims of the epidemic amid concerns about shortages of beds and equipment.
Wuhan has been eerily quiet despite the impending lunar new year after the city was effectively placed in quarantine.Wuhan has been eerily quiet despite the impending lunar new year after the city was effectively placed in quarantine.
Tests on 14 people in the UK have come back negative but checks are being carried out on others. After the Cobra emergency committee met to discuss the threat to the UK, the chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, stressed that the risk to the public is low. Public Health England echoed the assessment while saying it was likely cases would emerge in the UK.Tests on 14 people in the UK have come back negative but checks are being carried out on others. After the Cobra emergency committee met to discuss the threat to the UK, the chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, stressed that the risk to the public is low. Public Health England echoed the assessment while saying it was likely cases would emerge in the UK.
The second confirmed case has been identified in the US, in the city of Chicago. The patient, a woman in her 60s had returned from Wuhan on 13 January and was tested after exhibiting symptoms. She is said to be in a stable condition. She has had limited contact with others since returning to the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but people she has had contact with are being monitored.The second confirmed case has been identified in the US, in the city of Chicago. The patient, a woman in her 60s had returned from Wuhan on 13 January and was tested after exhibiting symptoms. She is said to be in a stable condition. She has had limited contact with others since returning to the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but people she has had contact with are being monitored.
There have been calls for a worldwide ban on wild animal markets by experts who says the sale of sometimes endangered species for human consumption is the cause both of the new coronavirus outbreak and other past epidemics. The Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, which has been closed down as the source of the infection, had a wild animal section, where live and slaughtered species were on sale.There have been calls for a worldwide ban on wild animal markets by experts who says the sale of sometimes endangered species for human consumption is the cause both of the new coronavirus outbreak and other past epidemics. The Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, which has been closed down as the source of the infection, had a wild animal section, where live and slaughtered species were on sale.
The Scottish government confirmed on Friday afternoon that results for two of the five patients in Scotland tested for coronavirus had come back negative.The Scottish government confirmed on Friday afternoon that results for two of the five patients in Scotland tested for coronavirus had come back negative.
Emphasising that the risk to the public remained low, Scotland’s chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, said:Emphasising that the risk to the public remained low, Scotland’s chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, said:
Three more cases have been confirmed in Hong Kong, according to AFP’s correspondent there.Three more cases have been confirmed in Hong Kong, according to AFP’s correspondent there.
Here are some details of what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is saying about the second case of coronavirus identified in the United States.Here are some details of what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is saying about the second case of coronavirus identified in the United States.
The CDC added that while it considered coronavirus “a serious public health threat” the immediate health risk to the US public was considered low.The CDC added that while it considered coronavirus “a serious public health threat” the immediate health risk to the US public was considered low.
The BMJ (British Medical Journal) has an article about the psychological effects of quarantining a city, in response to the lockdown affecting more than 20 million people in China.The BMJ (British Medical Journal) has an article about the psychological effects of quarantining a city, in response to the lockdown affecting more than 20 million people in China.
It says:It says:
It says elevated anxiety may lead to a surge in patients referred to as the “worried well” and that stigma may affect those on the inside of the cordon.It says elevated anxiety may lead to a surge in patients referred to as the “worried well” and that stigma may affect those on the inside of the cordon.
A crucial question for how the outbreak will unfold is how contagious the virus is. Scientists around the world are trying to establish how many people, on average, each infected person will pass the virus on to, a number known as R0 in epidemiology. If this number is more than one, an epidemic will grow and if less than one it will fizzle out.A crucial question for how the outbreak will unfold is how contagious the virus is. Scientists around the world are trying to establish how many people, on average, each infected person will pass the virus on to, a number known as R0 in epidemiology. If this number is more than one, an epidemic will grow and if less than one it will fizzle out.
An analysis posted online on Friday by scientists from Lancaster University puts R0 for the new coronavirus at 3.8 and estimates that should the epidemic continue unabated, there could be 191,529 infections by 4 February.An analysis posted online on Friday by scientists from Lancaster University puts R0 for the new coronavirus at 3.8 and estimates that should the epidemic continue unabated, there could be 191,529 infections by 4 February.
The paper also suggests that travel restrictions from and to Wuhan city are unlikely to be effective in halting transmission across China. The analysis assumes that only 5% of infections in Wuhan have been identified, which would imply a far larger pool of people whose symptoms have been mild and who have not attended hospital. So while more people may have been infected than initially thought, on the positive side, it would imply that the majority of infections do not cause severe symptoms.The paper also suggests that travel restrictions from and to Wuhan city are unlikely to be effective in halting transmission across China. The analysis assumes that only 5% of infections in Wuhan have been identified, which would imply a far larger pool of people whose symptoms have been mild and who have not attended hospital. So while more people may have been infected than initially thought, on the positive side, it would imply that the majority of infections do not cause severe symptoms.
Chinese state television’s traditional lunar new year extravaganza on Friday paid tribute to the people of Wuhan and to medical staff fighting the coronavirus crisis, urging them on to victory in the battle to defeat the outbreak, Reuters reports.Chinese state television’s traditional lunar new year extravaganza on Friday paid tribute to the people of Wuhan and to medical staff fighting the coronavirus crisis, urging them on to victory in the battle to defeat the outbreak, Reuters reports.
Here is the full statement by the chief medical officer for England, Prof Chris Whitty, in which he said the risk to the UK public remained low:Here is the full statement by the chief medical officer for England, Prof Chris Whitty, in which he said the risk to the UK public remained low:
This interactive shows where there are confirmed cases of the coronavirus:This interactive shows where there are confirmed cases of the coronavirus:
And this shows the extent of the transport shutdown in China:And this shows the extent of the transport shutdown in China:
The person who tested positive in the US, the second person there to do so, is a woman in her 60s.The person who tested positive in the US, the second person there to do so, is a woman in her 60s.
She returned from Wuhan, China, on 13 January.She returned from Wuhan, China, on 13 January.
In the UK, tests for coronavirus on 14 people in the UK have come back negative but there are checks ongoing on other people, the chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, has said.In the UK, tests for coronavirus on 14 people in the UK have come back negative but there are checks ongoing on other people, the chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, has said.
He was speaking after a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee in Whitehall, chaired by the health secretary, Matt Hancock.He was speaking after a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee in Whitehall, chaired by the health secretary, Matt Hancock.