Science

Britons in Wuhan decry ‘pathetic’ UK government coronavirus advice


British citizens trapped in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak, say the UK government’s response has been slow and unclear, and its travel advice pathetic.

Up to 300 British citizens are thought to be stuck in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located and where most of the 80 deaths associated with the disease have occurred.

It is not clear whether the British government will conduct an evacuation, though the US and Japan are preparing airlifts, the US on Tuesday. The French carmaker PSA Group has also said it will evacuate its employees.

Kharn Lambert, 31, from Lancaster, who works as a PE teacher in Wuhan, described the city as a ghost town. All planes and trains have been cancelled and most private vehicles banned from the roads, as officials try to stop the spread of the virus.

His biggest concern, he said, was the wellbeing of his 81-year-old grandmother, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and risks running out of medication in around one week’s time.

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Consulate staff in Wuhan initially put him in touch with a doctor to provide more supplies, but he is anxious it may not arrive in time. “I think it will take a lot longer than a week to be honest, unless they can send through diplomatic channels. It’s medication after all I’m sure it will to go through some sort of checks,” he said.

Lambert said he was going outside as little as possible to avoid increasing the risk of infecting his grandmother.

The British home secretary, Priti Patel, said on Sunday the government was “looking at all the options”, which could include airlifting UK citizens out of the worst-affected area. On Monday, theForeign Office issued updated guidance asking British nationals in Hubei province to get in touch.

Those who have fallen ill are reported to initially suffer coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. So far, 2,700 people have been affected across China and elsewhere, though the mayor of Wuhan has predicted a further 1,000 new cases. Most of the people who have died from the disease are older or have underlying health conditions. Medical facilities in the city have been completely overwhelmed by the outbreak and are short of beds and supplies.

The World Health Organisation is recommending that people take simple precautions to reduce exposure to and transmission of the Wuhan coronavirus, for which there is no specific cure or vaccine.

The UN agency advises people to:

  • Frequently wash their hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or warm water and soap
  • Cover their mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when sneezing or coughing
  • Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever or cough
  • Seek early medical help if they have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, and share their travel history with healthcare providers
  • Avoid direct, unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in contact with animals when visiting live markets in affected areas
  • Avoid eating raw or undercooked animal products and exercise care when handling raw meat, milk or animal organs to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods

Despite a surge in sales of face masks in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak, experts are divided over whether they can prevent transmission and infection. There is some evidence to suggest that masks can help prevent hand-to-mouth transmissions, given the large number of times people touch their faces. The consensus appears to be that wearing a mask can limit – but not eliminate – the risks, provided they are used correctly.

Justin McCurry

Bethan Webber, whose mother, Dr Yvonne Griffiths, is also stuck in Wuhan, called on the UK government to act. Dr Griffiths, 71, from Thornhill in Cardiff, had been visiting Wuhan in her capacity as a visiting lecturer for Birmingham City University, and was due to fly back on Monday.

“She’s increasingly stressed by the situation, we all are. She’s not sleeping well. The more time goes on the more uncertain it feels and the more the risks seem to be increasing as the rate of infection grow,” Webber said.

Advice provided by the FCO – which states “if you are in this area and able to leave, you should do so” – was “pathetic”, said Lambert, given the entire city is locked down.

Nick, a teacher in Wuhan who asked to be referred to by only his first name, said his wife was Indonesian, and that the family had been offered far more support by the Indonesian embassy. “At least they [the Indonesian embassy] have been proactive. They phoned us. They have gone out of their way to look after us, whereas the British government hasn’t really done that,” he added.

Nick, who has two children, who are aged nine and 12, has dual British and US citizenship, and so has also contacted the US embassy for support. The US is arranging a flight for citizens, but he said he was awaiting an update.

What is the virus causing illness in Wuhan?

It is a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals, or possibly seafood. New and troubling viruses usually originate in animal hosts. Ebola and flu are examples.

What other coronaviruses have there been?

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers) are both caused by coronaviruses that came from animals.

What are the symptoms of the Wuhan coronavirus?

The virus causes pneumonia. Those who have fallen ill are reported to suffer coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. In severe cases there can be organ failure. As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work. If people are admitted to hospital, they may get support for their lungs and other organs as well as fluids. Recovery will depend on the strength of their immune system. Many of those who have died are known to have been already in poor health.

Is the virus being transmitted from one person to another?

Human to human transmission has been confirmed by China’s national health commission. As of 27 January, the Chinese authorities had acknowledged more than 2,700 cases and 56 deaths. In the past week, the number of confirmed infections has more than tripled and cases have been found in 13 provinces, as well as the municipalities of Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Tianjin. The virus has also been confirmed outside China, in Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam. There have not been any confirmed cases in the UK at present, with the 14 people tested for the virus all proving negative. The actual number to have contracted the virus could be far higher as people with mild symptoms may not have been detected. Modelling by WHO experts at Imperial College London suggests there could be as many as 100,000 cases, with uncertainty putting the margins between 30,000 and 200,000.

How worried are the experts?

There were fears that the coronavirus might spread more widely during the week-long lunar new year holidays, which start on 24 January, when millions of Chinese travel home to celebrate, but the festivities have largely been cancelled and Wuhan and other Chinese cities are in lockdown.

At what point should you go to the doctor if you have a cough, say?

Unless you have recently travelled to China or been in contact with someone infected with the virus, then you should treat any cough or cold symptoms as normal. The NHS advises that there is generally no need to visit a doctor for a cough unless it is persistent or you are having other symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing or you feel very unwell.

Should we panic?

No. The spread of the virus outside China is worrying but not an unexpected development. It increases the likelihood that the World Health Organization will declare the outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern on Thursday evening. The key concerns are how transmissible this new coronavirus is between people and what proportion become severely ill and end up in hospital.

Sarah Boseley Health editor and Hannah Devlin 

Everyone is holed up indoors, with many watching social media and chat groups for updates, added Matthew Heard, 31, from London, who works as an education consultant in Wuhan.

“There’s hundreds and hundreds of posts every few minutes, describing the situation in a slightly different way,” he said, adding that there was an atmosphere of confusion.

The FCO had given tentative comments about how it was “thinking about potential action”, he said, when people needed a concrete plan.

In a statement, the FCO said it was “working to make an option available for British nationals to leave Hubei province due to the heavy travel restrictions and increased difficulty of accessing consular or medical assistance.

“The safety and security of British nationals is our number one priority. We continue to monitor developments and are in close touch with the Chinese authorities.”

British nationals in Hubei Province who require assistance are advised to contact the FCO’s 24/7 number +86 (0) 10 8529 6600 or (+44) (0)207 008 1500, the statement added.




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