AUTHORITIES are attempting to track down 2000 people that have arrived in the UK from the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus as the death toll continues to rise.
Five people are known to have been tested in Scotland so far and have all been given the all-clear. A statement by the Department of Health in England yesterday said a total of 31 people in the UK had been tested and all were found to be free of the virus. It’s not clear how many tests are currently still being carried out.
In China, where the virus originated, 41 people have died, including a 62-year-old doctor who became infected after treating patients. A second doctor died from a heart attack, reportedly brought on by exhaustion from working to contain the disease.
READ MORE: What is coronavirus and could it affect Scotland?
More than 1300 people have been infected globally, with cases reported in France, Australia, Japan, the USA, Nepal, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and Hong Kong.
In Scotland, universities with links to China have been placed on alert and Chinese students have been warned to be wary of packages sent from home, particularly if they contain food.
Anyone who has travelled in the last fortnight from China or other countries where the infection has been reported and is experiencing respiratory symptoms should contact NHS 24 or their GP.
READ MORE: David Pratt: What the coronavirus threat says about global health security
Dundee and Aberdeen universities both have partnerships with Wuhan University and have staff who have returned from the province recently.
In Dundee, there are 34 students from Wuhan. Five members of staff recently visited the university and flew back in the last fortnight, but a spokesperson said no health concerns had been raised.
Five staff members from Aberdeen University also visited Wuhan recently but four returned three or more weeks ago and the fifth is working from home as a precautionary measure, according to a spokesperson.
The deaths so far have been confined to China where 56 million people in 18 provinces are now subject to travel restrictions, thwarting the plans of many to visit family for the Chinese New Year which began yesterday.
Hundreds of military medical personnel have been sent to Wuhan to cope with the outbreak and construction of a second hospital with capacity for 1300 patients has begun and is expected to be completed within a fortnight. The foundations for a 1000-bed hospital were completed a few days ago and both buildings are expected to be finished by February 3.
Medical experts have warned that strict quarantine is crucial to containing the spread of the disease after they found the virus in the lungs of a child who was showing no symptoms.
The UK’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, has announced a public health hub will be established at Heathrow, adding that while the risk remains low, there may well be cases in the UK.
“The UK is well prepared for these types of incidents, with excellent readiness against infectious diseases,” he said. “We have global experts monitoring the situation around the clock and have a strong track record of managing new forms of infectious disease. We have access to some of the best infectious disease and public health experts in the world from around the UK.”
Before Wuhan’s airport was shut down on Thursday, there were three flights a week into Heathrow.
Scotland’s chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood said she was being kept “fully informed about the precautionary steps being taken”.
“Scotland is well prepared for these types of outbreaks – we have a proven track record of dealing with challenging health issues and the UK was one of the first countries in the world to develop a test for the new virus,” she said.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here