Coronavirus: Millions of sick Brits to be told ‘stay off work for TWO WEEKS if deadly virus spreads in UK’
MILLIONS of Brits are set to be told to stay off work for two weeks if the deadly virus continues to spread throughout the UK.
The possible shift in government strategy could see Brits with flu-like symptoms in their homes for a fortnight if the number of cases in the UK hits the hundreds, it has been reported.
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In order to contain it's spread, hospitals have created “isolation pods” in order to ensure that anyone tested for the virus is kept away from other patients.
But now health officials, including NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens, say many more people in the UK may need to self-isolate to contain the illness, which has been officially named Covid-19.
Under Britain's Pandemic Influenza Response Plan, protocols are set for ensuring the isolation and treatment of patients for "the first few 100 cases" in order to gather detailed information about a new virus.
But a new attempt to control the virus' spread may be implemented after a series of high-level meetings between health officials.
Senior managers have been told that the NHS could stop testing patients once around 100 cases have been confirmed across the country if there is evidence of "sustained community transmission" within the UK, reports.
These are cases not linked to any known or previously identified cases.
NINE CONFIRMED CASES
Nine confirmed cases have been treated in the UK so far - with just one left in hospital - after now testing negative twice for the disease.
The last of those at Arrowe Park in quarantine in the Wirral after returning from Wuhan have also been released.
But more than 100 still remain in isolation at Kents Park Hill Hotel in Milton Keynes.
As of Friday, a total of 2,964 people have been tested in the UK, of which 2,955 were confirmed negative.
The health service is struggling to cope with carrying out large volumes of tests.
The NHS has the capacity to carry out 1,000 tests a day - but carried out 763 tests on Thursday alone.
MPs IN ISOLATION
This morning it was revealed two Labour MPs have self-isolated over coronavirus fears after going to a London bus conference attended by an infected patient.
Alex Sobel, MP for Leeds NW, tweeted earlier today he was being tested as one of 250 people who may have come into contact with the killer bug.
The infected person is said to have visited the UK Bus Summit in Westminster on February 6 where Boris Johnson's Buses Minister, Baroness Vere of Norbiton, was star speaker.
Mr Sobel wrote on Twitter: “Whilst I have been informed that I am at very low risk, I have called 111 to be formally assessed."
And another Labour MP who went to the conference, Lillian Greenwood, today said she is cancelling all her public engagements and is at home to be "extra cautious".
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There is now growing panic the patient could have infected any of the hundreds of people who attended the packed conference at the QEII centre.
It is also not clear whether she took a taxi or a Tube to the talk - sparking fears more Londoners could have been exposed to the virus, which has killed 1,384 people.
It is understood the person is the not the Chinese woman who hopped in an Uber and arrived at Lewisham Hospital in a huge breach of public health advice.
