NHS on high alert for signs of killer coronavirus in UK as ‘thousands infected in China’
NHS staff are working to spot signs of coronavirus, as the deadly bug sweeps China.
Officials have warned coronavirus, which has claimed nine lives already, could reach Britain as it spreads through Asia.
It comes as the sixth victim was reported dead in , the virus is feared to have spread to Australia and as a Brit holidaymaker is fighting for his life in Thailand.
Despite the alert, medics have said at this stage the threat posed by the coronavirus in the UK is currently considered "low".
But yesterday Chinese officials confirmed the virus can be transmitted from human-to-human, increasing the likelihood of it spreading.
Dr Nick Phin, Public Health England deputy director, said: "We have issued advice to the NHS and are keeping the situation under constant review.
"People travelling to Wuhan should maintain good hand, respiratory and personal hygiene and should avoid visiting animal and bird markets or people who are ill with respiratory symptoms.
"Individuals should seek medical attention if they develop respiratory symptoms within 14 days of visiting Wuhan, either in China or on their return to the UK, informing their health service prior to their attendance about their recent travel to the city."
We are keeping the situation under constant review
Dr Nick Phin, Public Health England
The outbreak of coronavirus is believed to have started in a market in Wuhan, China, in December - which is connected to London by three direct flights per week.
It has since spread from Wuhan to major cities including Beijing and Shenzhen - with the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission today confirming 291 cases of the bug.
Four of these cases were diagnosed abroad - one in South Korea, two in Thailand and another in Japan.
There have also been four fatalities in China - with 15 medical staff also infected, the authorities say.
However, UK experts from Imperial College London say the true number of infected people is likely to be much higher.
They estimated the number of cases is nearer 2,000 people.
Imperial College London's Neil Ferguson, a disease outbreak scientist, said that many aspects of the Wuhan coronavirus were "highly uncertain".
"The detection of three cases outside China is worrying," he said.
"We calculate, based on flight and population data, that there is only a one in 574 chance that a person infected in Wuhan would travel overseas before they sought medical care.
This implies there might have been over 1,700 cases in Wuhan so far.
"There are many unknowns, meaning the uncertainty range around this estimate goes from 190 cases to over 4,000.
"But the magnitude of these numbers suggests that substantial human-to-human transmission cannot be ruled out.
"Heightened surveillance, prompt information sharing and enhanced preparedness are recommended."
The spread of coronavirus comes as millions of people prepare to travel for the Lunar New Year holidays.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an airborne virus, spread in a similar way to colds and the flu.
The virus attacks the respiratory system, causing lung lesions.
Symptoms include a runny nose, headache, cough and fever, shortness of breath, chills and body aches.
It is incredibly contagious and is spread through contact with anything the virus is on as well as infected breath, coughs or sneezes.
Symptoms include a runny nose, headache, cough and fever, shortness of breath, chills and body aches.
In most cases, you won't know whether you have a coronavirus or a different cold-causing virus, such as rhinovirus.
But if a coronavirus infection spreads to the lower respiratory tract (your windpipe and your lungs), it can cause pneumonia, especially in older people, people with heart disease or people with weakened immune systems.
There is no vaccine for coronavirus.
In 2003 an outbreak of a similar virus, SARS, infected more than 8,000 people in 37 countries before it was brought under control, killing 800 of those worldwide.
The virus belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed almost 800 people across the world in the early 2000s outbreak, which also started in China.
Symptoms include fever and difficulty in breathing, which are similar to many other respiratory diseases and pose complications for screening efforts.
A Brit tourist, Ash Shorley, 32, is feared to be the first western victim of the illness.
He was rushed to hospital after the bug infected both lungs while he was on Koh Phi Phi island in Thailand.
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China’s National Health Commission said on Sunday it will step up prevention efforts, but acknowledged it still doesn’t know the source of the virus.
"As more… cases are identified and more analysis undertaken, we will get a clearer picture of disease severity and transmission patterns," it wrote on Twitter.
It noted that the rise in cases in China was a result of "increased searching and testing for the virus among people sick with respiratory illness".
If you have recently travelled to China and are worried about symptoms of the virus, contact your GP.