The COVID-19 disease has spread to more countries and capitals with almost nine times as many cases reported outside China as inside in the past 24 hours. The EU has raised risk levels as global deaths passed 3,000. And the UK outbreak Coronavirus cases have grown significantly.
The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the world was in “unchartered territory.”
“We have never before seen a respiratory pathogen that is capable of community transmission, but which can also be contained with the right measures,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press briefing.
Almost nine times as many cases were reported outside China as inside over the past 24 hours.
UK Outbreak Coronavirus
The official number of confirmed UK cases of the coronavirus has leapt to 36 after Scotland confirmed its first case.
The Scottish government says a Tayside resident who had recently returned from Italy had tested positive for the virus.
On Sunday, 12 new patients were identified in England. Three of the new cases in England are family members of a man from Surrey who tested positive on Friday. He is the first person to contract the virus within the UK.
Chief Medical Officer Chirs Whitty confirmed on Sunday that one of the new patients is from Essex. And had not travelled to an affected area.
Whitty said investigations were ongoing as to whether the new patient had caught it “directly or indirectly” from an individual who had recently been abroad.
The other cases in the UK
- Two Leeds residents both became infected while in Iran.
- Two Gloucestershire residents became infected while in northern Italy.
- A Bradford resident caught the virus in Italy.
- A Bury resident caught the virus while in Italy.
- The remaining patients are from London, Hertfordshire and Gloucestershire.
As of 9.am on Sunday, more than 11,000 people had been tested for the coronavirus in the UK.
On Saturday, three more cases of Covid-19 were confirmed, with one each in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Two of Saturday’s confirmed cases were staff members at primary schools.
Scotland’s first case brings the total to 36 – and confirms that the virus has spread to all four parts of the United Kingdom.
The ‘battle plan’
The government has said it was “inevitable” that the deadly virus would spread across the UK. The UK has outlined a new “battle plan” and said it will not “take anything off the table,” in its response to the spread of Covid-19.
An emergency Cobra meeting will be headed by the Prime Minister on Monday to finalise their “battle plan.”
Long-term strategy
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the long-term plan for ensuring Covid-19 was contained was to try to delay its “peak” until the summer, as the virus will not spread as easily in warm weather.
If the UK outbreak gets worse, the plan is likely to be encouraging people to work from home and recalling retired doctors and nurses.
Mr Hancock said the NHS was ready to deal with more cases of the virus and more than 5,000 emergency critical care beds available.
He also confirmed that “population distancing measures” such as banning public gatherings and cancelling sports events may be considered and closing schools may be “necessary” to curb the UK outbreak Coronavirus.
https://wtxnews.com/2020/02/26/coronavirus-a-guide-to-everything-you-need-to-know/
[WPSM_AC id=32402]
………………………………..
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SHARE WTX NEWS WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY:
Facebook – Please like our page
Twitter – Twitter updates available in English and Arabic. Please follow us and we would love to hear from you
Instagram – Follow our pages in English and Arabic
