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Coronavirus crisis – 30,000 Brits told to leave China NOW as third flight is scheduled to bring more home from Wuhan
THIRTY thousand Brits have today been told to leave China immediately over the Coronavirus crisis - and to not travel to others regions of the country unless it's essential.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the government will charter a plane on Sunday to evacuate more British nationals and their families from Wuhan which is the epicentre of the crisis.
Read our coronavirus live blog for all the latest news and updates
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But the Government is only helping Brits stuck in Hubei Province who want to get home - and anyone else has to find their own way out.
Airlines including British Airways and Lufthansa have halted ALL their flights to China over the killer bug outbreak.
Other airlines are still operating but it may get harder over the coming weeks for those who wish to leave China to do so.
Mr Raab said today: "The safety and security of British people will always be our top priority.
"As such, we now advise British Nationals in China to leave the country if they can, to minimise their risk of exposure to the virus.
"Where there are still British Nationals in Hubei Province who wish to be evacuated, we will continue to work around the clock to facilitate this."
Some Brits who are stranded in China have hit out at the government's decision to only help those in Wuhan and Hubei.
Navjot Singh, 40, from Dulwich, London, flew to the Jiangsu province with his wife and two-year-old daughter on January 20.
He contacted the government for help but was told to make his own arrangements after his return flights home were cancelled as the virus took hold in the country.
The author said: "Foreign Office could do better for Brits in all of China, not just Wuhan,' Mr Singh, an author, said as he stayed at his in-laws."
Coronavirus is today on the brink of a pandemic as cases reach 20,000 worldwide and the death toll soars to over 400.
We now advise British Nationals in China to leave the country if they can
Dominic Raab
More than 80 Brits are currently in quarantine after flying back on two flights from Wuhan in the past week - they are set to stay there for 14 days in case they become ill.
Scientists have not yet speculated how much damage the lethal virus will cause but there is growing concerns it's readily transmitted between humans.
Dr Anthony S Fauci, director of the American National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, warned: "It's very, very transmissible, and it almost certainly is going to be a pandemic.
"But will it be catastrophic? I don't know."
The coronavirus is an epidemic in China - where it started - but has not affected enough people around the globe to be considered a pandemic.
It is spreading more like influenza, which is highly transmissible compared to its slow-moving viral cousins, SARS and MERS.
FLOWN BACK TO UK
It was revealed today that a suspected victim of the virus was flown back to the UK despite having symptoms.
Anthony May-Smith had a “cough and a sore throat” but was not screened before boarding the flight from China.
Anthony, put in quarantine on the plane, was flown from France with ten other Brits to RAF Brize Norton.
He was taken by ambulance to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
Last night, he was in isolation and should find out today if he is the UK’s third coronavirus victim.
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What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to a common cold.
They include:
- a runny nose
- headache
- cough
- fever
- shortness of breath
- chills
- 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 those with weakened immune systems.
There is no vaccine for coronavirus.
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Full FCO Travel
British nationals in China who need consular support should call +86 (0)10 8529 6600 or the FCO in London on +44 (0) 207 008 1500.
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What to do if you're worried you've got coronavirus
BRITISH health chiefs have raised the coronavirus risk to the public from low to moderate.
Health professionals are working to contact anyone who has been in close contact with people who have coronavirus.
The majority of those who have been infected with the virus so far have either visited China or been in close contact with someone who has.
But if you are concerned known the signs is one of the best ways to protect yourself from 2019-nCoV.
Symptoms usually include:
- a cough
- a high temperature
- difficulty breathing
In most cases, you won't know whether you have a coronavirus or a different cold-causing virus.
But if a coronavirus infection spreads to the lower respiratory tract, it can cause pneumonia, especially in older people, people with heart disease or people with weakened immune systems.
It is incredibly contagious and is spread through contact with anything the virus is on as well as infected breath, coughs or sneezes.
The best way to prevent catching any form of coronavirus is to practice good hygiene.
If you have cold-like symptoms, you can help protect others by staying home when you are sick and avoiding contact with others.
You should also cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough and sneeze then throw it away and wash your hands.
Cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces which you may have touched is also important.
If you have returned from Wuhan in the last 14 days:
- Stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with other flu viruses
- Call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the city
- your recent travel to the city
If you are in Northern Ireland, call your GP.
Please follow this advice even if you do not have symptoms of the virus.
Meanwhile, leading symptom-checking provider to the NHS has been updated to identify patients' risk of having coronavirus.
Source: NHS
'Overwhelmed' China is deliberately faking coronavirus death toll as government ‘crumbles’ under killer bug outbreak
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