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Fears that Surrey GP is UK's latest coronavirus case UK's 20th coronavirus case is first to catch illness in Britain
(about 4 hours later)
Doctor would have seen scores of patients over last week before he was diagnosed Man from Surrey is now in isolation unit at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital in London
A GP in Surrey is being taken to one of the NHS’s six specialist centres for infectious diseases amid fears he is the latest British case of coronavirus, the Guardian has been told. A man from Surrey has been taken to a hospital isolation unit after becoming the UK’s 20th confirmed case of coronavirus.
The development is understood to have triggered an urgent investigation to see if any of his patients have the coronavirus too. He is the first patient in England to catch the illness in the UK. The chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, said it was unclear whether they contracted it directly or indirectly from someone who had recently returned from abroad.
The case – which would be the 20th to emerge in the UK – has prompted particular concern among health officials trying to limit the spread of Covid-19. “This is being investigated and contact tracing has begun. The patient has been transferred to a specialist NHS infection centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ [hospital].”
As part of the official action plan being drawn up by ministers and Whitty, military medics, and British Red Cross and St John Ambulance personnel will be drafted in to help the NHS cope with a major outbreak.
The number of confirmed cases in the UK has jumped from 13 to 20 in the last 24 hours, with five emerging in England and one each in Wales and Northern Ireland.
Separately, the Guardian has been told that a GP may also have been infected with the virus.
If this were to be confirmed it would prompt particular concern among health officials trying to limit the spread of Covid-19.
The GP would routinely have seen scores of patients over the course of the last week before he became ill in the last 24 hours.The GP would routinely have seen scores of patients over the course of the last week before he became ill in the last 24 hours.
His diagnosis has yet to be publicly confirmed by Public Health England (PHE), NHS England or the Department of Health and Social Care.His diagnosis has yet to be publicly confirmed by Public Health England (PHE), NHS England or the Department of Health and Social Care.
It is believed the Department of Health is also preparing to confirm a further case, also from Surrey, who is not a doctor. Public health chiefs are also worried about the unnamed doctor’s diagnosis because his wife is also a GP.
Public health chiefs are also worried by the unnamed doctor’s diagnosis because his wife is also a GP.
PHE is “contact tracing” everyone with whom either of the couple has been in contact – including all patients they have seen – so they can also be tested for evidence of the virus.PHE is “contact tracing” everyone with whom either of the couple has been in contact – including all patients they have seen – so they can also be tested for evidence of the virus.
That exercise involves scores of patients as the couple are understood to have been working normally for several days before he was identified as a carrier of the virus.That exercise involves scores of patients as the couple are understood to have been working normally for several days before he was identified as a carrier of the virus.
It is not yet known if his wife has also contracted the virus, which for the first time has claimed the life of a Briton – a passenger on the Diamond Princess cruise liner.It is not yet known if his wife has also contracted the virus, which for the first time has claimed the life of a Briton – a passenger on the Diamond Princess cruise liner.
Public health officials looking into the GP’s case have not yet established how he might have caught the virus but he has not recently visited any of the places abroad where there have been recent outbreaks, such as northern Italy, Tenerife, Iran and China.Public health officials looking into the GP’s case have not yet established how he might have caught the virus but he has not recently visited any of the places abroad where there have been recent outbreaks, such as northern Italy, Tenerife, Iran and China.
Contact tracing of his patients is likely to look into whether anyone he has seen in recent days has been to any of those destinations.Contact tracing of his patients is likely to look into whether anyone he has seen in recent days has been to any of those destinations.
If confirmed, he would be the second GP to contract coronavirus among what is now 20 confirmed cases in the UK. The first, a family doctor in Brighton, and a member of staff at Worthing hospital, also in Sussex, were among the first cases to be identified in Britain earlier this month.If confirmed, he would be the second GP to contract coronavirus among what is now 20 confirmed cases in the UK. The first, a family doctor in Brighton, and a member of staff at Worthing hospital, also in Sussex, were among the first cases to be identified in Britain earlier this month.
The number of confirmed cases in the UK had jumped from 13 to 19 in the last 24 hours, with four emerging in England and one each in Wales and Northern Ireland. The latest case would bring that total to 20.