UK faces major coronavirus outbreak which could become pandemic worse than ebola, claims expert
BRITAIN could suffer a major outbreak of coronavirus which could even spark a pandemic, claims a leading expert.
The stark warning comes from the world-renowned microbiologist who co-discovered ebola and the presence of Aids in Africa.
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Professor Peter Piot, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said he was becoming “increasingly alarmed” by the continued spread of the virus.
He also told he believes the deadly strain now poses even more danger than ebola.
His warning came as it was revealed there are now 813 deaths and 37,551 confirmed global cases of coronavirus.
Among the infected are currently seven Brits which includes five who tested positive while staying in a ski resort in the French Alps.
Comparing the current virus to ebola, Piot said: “It’s a greater threat because of the mode of transmission. The potential for spread is much, much higher.”
He said that even with a relatively low death rate, “if the number of people who get infected is huge, then that will also kill a number of people”.
The professor then added: "You know how already overburdened the NHS is and if you've got a sudden major rise in cases of pneumonia or milder respiratory infections... the NHS can hardly cope with the normal situation."
The academic revealed the outbreak is unlikely to peak until the end of February or in March.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) currently considers the coronavirus outbreak to be an epidemic.
If it is eventually named a pandemic - a new disease that is spreading globally - it would be the first in more than a decade.
It’s a greater threat because of the mode of transmission. The potential for spread is much, much higher
Professor Peter Piot
Prof Piot said: “What happens thousands and thousands of miles from here in China has the potential of causing a major outbreak here.”
He pointed out that the people infected displayed no symptoms and the outbreak looks more like the spread of H1N1 or swine flu than the Sars pandemic of 2003.
The expert spoke out as the final rescue flight evacuating Brits from coronavirus ground zero Wuhan landed in the UK this morning.
More than 200 evacuees landed at RAF Brize Norton - now expected to be quarantined for 14 days in Milton Keynes.
Staff on the international flight were pictured wearing full protective gear including face masks.
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The second - and final - flight to evacuate UK citizens out of Wuhan was made up of Brits including government staff and military medics.
On the flight were 105 Brit nationals and their family members along with 95 European nationals. A team of 13 staff and medics were also on board.
The group will now be housed in Kents Hill Park, a conference centre and hotel, for two weeks in a desperate attempt to stop any spread of the killer virus.