EXPERTS have warned the deadly coronavirus which has killed 17 people in China could reach Britain because borders are too “porous” to keep the infection out.
It comes as Heathrow Airport said passengers flying into London from China will be isolated on arrival to check for killer coronavirus.
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Chinese state media confirmed 17 people have now died – up from nine earlier today.
Meanwhile official cases soared with more than 470 confirmed, according to the country’s National Health Commission.
Professor Neil Ferguson, an expert in mathematical biology at Imperial College London, told reporters today “we can’t rule out the possibility” there could already be a case in the UK.
The longer it goes on the higher the chance that the virus will reach Europe and potentially the UK
Professor Neil Ferguson
He warned up to 10,000 people could have already been infected by the new strain, and said it’s currently “as deadly as the Spanish flu epidemic” – which killed 50 million in 1918.
During a press briefing by the Science Media Centre, Prof Ferguson said: “Whether we will [see cases in the UK] depends on how quickly acute cases continue to grow in China.
“If this outbreak is fairly rapidly brought under control then we may escape any imported cases.
“The longer it goes on the higher the chance that the virus will reach Europe and potentially the UK.
“It’s understandable countries want to try and reduce the threat by various measures at the border. But the border will still be porous.”
He added: “Screening in the UK is not foolproof so there could be a mild case.”
More cases
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Dr Ferguson, who also warned the true number of cases is more likely to range from 1,000 to 10,000.
He said the death rate for the new strain of coronavirus is “roughly the same as for The Spanish flu epidemic, at around one in 50”.
The 1918 outbreak is the most severe pandemic in recent history, wiping out an estimated 50 million people across the world.
Prof Ferguson warned of “more deaths to come” as fellow experts said the outbreak has reached the threshold for an international public health emergency – ahead of today’s World Health Organization meeting on the issue.
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There are three direct flights from the Chinese city of Wuhan – which has a larger population than London at 11 million – to Heathrow every week.
The Department of Health and Social Care said that from today enhanced monitoring will be in place from all direct flights from Wuhan to the UK.
A team of healthcare experts will now meet each direct flight aircraft to provide advice and support to those that feel unwell.
The new measures will include:
- Broadcasting a vocal message to passengers whilst on the aircraft to encourage reporting of illness
- The captain of the aircraft will provide an early warning of any passenger illness while in transit
- A response of any reports – nil or otherwise – will be requested no later than 60 minutes before the actual arrival time
- Planes to land in isolated areas of Heathrow Terminal 4 that “better lends itself to any health contingencies”
- A team from PHE Port Health will meet passengers to provide advice and support to those that are unwell
- People will be taken to a separate area on arrival
A Heathrow spokesperson said: “The welfare of our passengers and colleagues is always our main priority and we are working with the Government to support the implementation of enhanced monitoring measures as a precaution.
“We would like to reassure passengers that the Government assesses the risk of a traveller contracting coronavirus to be low.”
UK risk
Public Health England has upgraded the coronavirus risk to the UK from “very low” to “low” today.
It comes after NHS chiefs have warned that the bug, which causes fever and difficulty breathing, could reach Britain as it spreads through Asia.
Dr Nick Phin, Public Health England deputy director, said: “This is a new and rapidly evolving situation where information on cases and the virus is being gathered and assessed daily.
“Based on the available evidence, the current risk to the UK is considered low.
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“We are working with the WHO and other international partners, have issued advice to the NHS and are keeping the situation under constant review.
“If you are traveling to Wuhan, you 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.
“They should phone ahead before attending any health services and mention their recent travel to the city.”
The outbreak of coronavirus is believed to have started in a market in Wuhan, China, in December.
US case
The first case of the mystery illness in the US is set to be announced later today, federal sources said.
A patient was hospitalised for pneumonia in America last week and had recently travelled to Wuhan, China where the respiratory disease was first spotted.
The virus could be declared a global health crisis after cases of the mystery bug previously quadrupled in just four days.
There are also reported cases in Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Thailand.
And an expert warned the deadly new virus is one of the “biggest global health threats”.
Scientists are frantically working on a vaccine to stop the spread of Wuhan coronavirus – but say it could be more than a year before it’s available.
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.
Dr Peter Hotez, a vaccine scientist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said a team of scientists in Texas, New York and China, are also working on a vaccine.
He told the broadcaster: “The lesson we’ve learned is coronavirus infections are serious and one of the newest and biggest global health threats.”
Dr Hotez added that it’s less challenging to develop a vaccine for coronaviruses than for other viruses, including HIV or flu.
He said: “Every virus has its challenges, but coronaviruses can be a relatively straightforward vaccine target.”
According to the South China Morning Post, Bejing warned that anyone who withheld information would face severe punishment and be “nailed on the pillar of shame for eternity”.
A spokesperson said: “Anyone who puts the face of politicians before the interests of the people will be the sinner of a millennium to the party and the people.
“Anyone who deliberately delays and hides the reporting of [virus] cases out of his or her own self-interest will be nailed on the pillar of shame for eternity.”
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