Coronavirus plane victims joke ‘the infected are coming’ as British rescue flight lands from Wuhan
A BRIT on board the plane from coronavirus-hit Wuhan today joked “the infected are coming” as the rescue flight touched down in Britain.
One passenger posted live pictures from inside the plane before he is taken to the Wirral - where he will be tested and quarantined at Arrowe Park Hospital for 14 days.
He wrote: “About to land at RAF Brize Norton. The infected are coming.
“Thank you Wamos Air staff for getting us home. They also have to go into a period of quarantine just for bringing us home!”
Live footage showed a woman and a young child disembarking from the plane after it touched down just after 1.30pm today.
The child walked down the steps before being scooped up and carried away.
Maeve Clarke was on the flight and told LBC News the flight had been a "job well handled" and said: "We're all safe."
It comes after two patients were quarantined in Newcastle after testing positive for the killer bug.
What we know about coronavirus so far...
- The deadly virus today hit Britain as TWO patients were confirmed to be infected
- The global death toll has reached 213 with more than 9,000 cases - surpassing SARS infection in China
- The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak a global health emergency on an unprecedented scale
- The Foreign Office warned against "all but essential travel" to the country because of the virus outbreak
- British Airways suspended all flights to and from mainland China
- The first human-to-human transmissions in people who haven't been to China have been reported
The BBC reported the victims were guests at a hotel in Yorkshire, but no official details have been released.
On Wednesday, Chinese tourists suffering coronavirus-symptoms were rushed to hospital from Staycity aparthotel in York city centre on Wednesday.
Dramatic video footage showed hazmat paramedics swooping on the hotel after a man travelling with two others reported feeling unwell.
Authorities are now desperately scrambling to contain the spiralling epidemic with fears up to 2,000 could be infected in the UK.
Some rooms at the £140-a-night hotel have been sealed off and are being deep-cleaned today - but it is still open for business.
Hotel bosses today said they had been in touch with Public Health England but had no confirmation their guests were the confirmed victims.
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A spokesman added: "Until more is known the apartment containing the group’s belongings will be cordoned off, along with surrounding rooms, after which the area will undergo a thorough environmental clean and disinfection."
Health officials say they "are working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread" - amid frantic efforts to stop it spiralling out of control.
Official advice urges anyone who has come into close contact with coronavirus sufferers to "self-isolate" to prevent the infection spreading.
Director for national infection service at Public Health England Professor Sharon Peacock said: "What they'll be doing is aiming to contact everybody who has been in contact with these two cases and prevent onward transmission."
