Week of March 9, 2020

The UK’s chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty said that people who show “even minor” signs of respiratory tract infections or a fever will soon be told to self-isolate for seven days after showing mild symptoms, this will be done in an effort to tackle the deadly coronavirus.  This change in advice could happen within the next 10 to 14 days.

According to the chief medical adviser all intensive care patients will now be tested for the virus, – as well as anyone in hospital with a respiratory infection.

In a joint press conference with Prof Whitty in Downing Street, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also suggested the elderly and vulnerable could be asked to stay home in the near future, with further steps set out “in the days and weeks ahead”.  He said that the more the peak of the spread could be delayed to summer, “the better the NHS will be able to manage”.

As of March 9, 2020 a total of 24,960 people have been tested: 24,641 were negative and 319 positive.  Five people who have tested positive for coronavirus have sadly died.  Two of the victims were in their 70s and had underlying health conditions.

The borough of Kensington and Chelsea was revealed as the London borough with the highest cases of coronavirus.  PHE’s breakdown showed five cases of coronavirus in Ealing, four in Barnet and three in Brent, Hounslow, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Wandswork and Westminster.  The boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Croydon, Enfield, Greenwich, Haringey, Havering, Islington, Newham, Richmond, Sutton and Waltham Forest have zero so far.

Today, March 10, the latest figures on the coronavirus shows 373 cases; 234 cases in England, 27 in Scotland,16 in Northern Ireland and six in Wales.

A European Union expert said the UK had only a “few days” to implement measures to prevent an outbreak like the one in Italy.

Presently, the UK remains in a coronavirus ‘containment’ phase.  Units have been set up to counter false coronavirus claims.