Coronavirus will kill Britons, warns Britain’s Chief Medical Officer

Coronavirus will kill more Britons and as the virus spreads with increasing speed an epidemic on UK soil is now ‘highly likely’, the Chief Medical Officer warned today.

Professor Chris Whitty’s chilling message for Britain’s 66million residents came as the total number of UK cases rose to 53 today after two patients in Scotland tested positive. 

Boris Johnson admitted yesterday that people’s lives may have to be put on hold for up to three months to fight the deadly coronavirus – and his ‘battle plan’ warned that most households are likely to be affected in some way by efforts to stop an epidemic.

In the worst case scenario, schools could be shut, millions could be forced to work from home and people could be asked to stop eating out, going to the pub or shopping in a bid to keep them away from others.

Official disaster projections suggest as many as half a million people could die if the disease could not be controlled, although evidence from China – where fewer than 3,000 have died and the outbreak is now slowing down – suggests the real figure would be only a fraction of this.  

Professor Whitty told Sky News this morning: ‘I think it is… almost certain there will be more cases in the UK, probably a lot more cases as the Prime Minister laid out, and we would expect some deaths, yes.’

He also told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that people wearing masks in public will have little effect on whether or not they catch coronavirus. The individual viruses which cause the disease are so small that they pass through many masks, experts say, and people may be more likely to get it by touching a contaminated surface and then their face.

The chief medical officer told presenters Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid: ‘It’s much more likely than not that we’re going to deal with a significant epidemic.’

A lone commuter wears a face mask as he crosses London Bridge in the capital this morning

The government’s battle plan has been divided into four stages – ‘Contain’, ‘delay’, ‘research’ and ‘mitigate’

Professor Whitty went on to say that an epidemic is ‘highly likely’ to hit the nation. 

And he said that protective masks would do little good for the people donning them on the London Underground, in the streets and in airports.

‘If people have got an infection and are being moved around a hospital then wearing masks is a good thing to do but for people just walking the streets it’s not going to have a significant effect,’ he said. 

Piers Morgan pointed out that those who are wearing the ineffective items might also leave fewer masks available for the NHS.

It comes after the news that a breath test that instantly spots patients with coronavirus has been developed by British scientists.

They say the technology could be used to rapidly screen people in airports. And it could also be used in GP surgeries, pharmacies or ambulances, giving an instant result.

The technology, developed by a team at Northumbria University in Newcastle, needs further testing but experts believe it could be quickly change the way the virus is spotted around the world. 

The Government is launching a renewed public information campaign urging people to wash their hands to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Adverts will seek to drive home the message that regular hand-washing is the single most important action individuals can take in the fight against Covid-19.

A commuter wears a face mask as he crosses London Bridge in the capital this morning

People with face masks walk across the concourse at London Victoria train station yesterday

A man wears a medical mask on a street in London yesterday

A woman wears a mask as a precaution against coronavirus on a street in London yesterday

A stone’s throw from Number 10, two people wear protective face masks in London’s Parliament Square amid concerns of a British outbreak 

THE TRUTH ABOUT FACE MASKS 

Although people have been pictured wearing them all over the world since the outbreak began, scientists say surgical face masks are not very good at protecting people from catching coronavirus.

The masks are considered effective for healthcare workers treating virus patients worn along with protective gloves, goggles and gowns.

But for the average person not wearing the full hazmat suits, the surgical masks will only slightly lower the chance of catching the illness.

This is because the individual viruses are so small they can pass through the filters of the mask, which also do not fully seal off the nose and mouth. 

Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Edinburgh, said: ‘Surgical masks also leave the wearer’s eyes exposed – and there’s a chance the virus can infect that way. 

‘They might help, but it’s not clear they give you total protection.’

Some wearers also report touching their face more frequently when wearing a mask, often to readjust it or pull it down when eating. 

This is a problem because the viruses survive on surfaces and are picked up by the next person who touches it, who then touches their face and transfers the virus into their mouth, nose or eyes. 

Current advice from Public Health England is to wear a mask at home if you are caring for a sick person – and if you get sick, to stop you infecting others. 

The NHS may give you some if they tell you to self-quarantine.

But don’t buy large quantities of masks. There is a global shortage and the close-fitting ‘respirator’ style ones, like N95 or FP2, which are similar to those worn by builders to protect them from toxic fumes, should be saved for the healthcare workers who will really need them.

But they may reduce the risk of an infected person passing it on…

Scientists do also say anyone who is already infected could reduce their risk of passing the virus on by wearing a mask.

They may be able to block droplets carrying the virus from being coughed out into the air around them.

The virus infects someone by taking hold in flesh inside their airways and lungs after it is breathed in. Because of this, mucous and saliva contain the viruses and are infectious. 

Professor Whitty’s comments come after the NHS yesterday announced it had hiked its threat level to the highest possible ‘national incident’ after 12 more British patients tested positive for the infection.

Health chiefs have declared the epidemic a ‘level four incident’, which grants them emergency powers to take control of local hospitals.  

Coronavirus was ratcheted up to level four status in January, but the move was only confirmed yesterday as the government tried to calm public concern by unveiling a four-pronged strategy to tackle the growing crisis.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a press conference yesterday with Professor Whitty and the government’s chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance, to launch the official action plan.

Troops could be deployed on the streets, infected patients who are not suffering from complications could be sent home from hospital, and non-urgent NHS operations could be cancelled to free up space in overwhelmed hospitals. 

The PM also revealed schools could be shut and children allowed to do coursework and sit exams from their home to stop the spread. But he maintained that this would only be worst-case scenario and said schools should not close unless instructed to by Public Health England. 

Mr Johnson said the government would take all ‘necessary and reasonable steps’ to contain the coronavirus, but appealed for the public to keep ‘going about our business as usual’.

He said: ‘I do think that this is a national challenge. The potential is there for this to be something that our country has to get through.

‘But I have absolutely no doubt that we have the resources, we have the health service to get through it.’

The 28-page ‘action plan’ was agreed at the first emergency Cobra meeting to be chaired by the PM on Monday. 

The report stresses the response is still in the ‘containment’ phase, and explained there are four stages – contain, delay, research and mitigate.

But experts fear they will have to shift to ‘delay’ tactics – effectively damage limitation – within days or weeks amid growing outbreaks across Europe.

More than 2,500 people have now been diagnosed in Italy, which is in the grip of the second worst outbreak outside of China, and hundreds of patients have been discovered in Germany and France. 

Poland today declared its first case of the coronavirus, following Ukraine yesterday.

The only European countries without infections are now Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Modlova, Turkey and Cyprus.   

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, flanked by the chief medical officer for England, Chris Whitty (left) and the chief scientific officer, Sir Patrick Vallance (right), launched Government’s coronavirus action plan at Downing Street yesterday

Prime Minister Boris Johnson (left) posted a picture of him washing his hands to his Instagram page yesterday with the caption: ‘I fully understand the public’s concerns about the global spread of coronavirus, and it is likely to become more significant in the coming weeks’

THE QUEEN, 93, DONS GLOVES AT AN INVESTITURE FOR FIRST TIME AMID VIRUS CRISIS

The Queen appears to have worn gloves for the first time at a Buckingham Palace investiture since she started doing them in 1952 amid warnings about the spread of coronavirus and the deadly danger it poses to the over-80s.

The 93-year-old’s decision to cover her hands came as the Government warned the death rate for people infected is ‘significantly ramped up’ among the elderly.

The Queen, who has carried out investitures since 1952, has worn gloves for the first time as she handed an MBE to D-Day veteran Harry Billinge yesterday 

Her Majesty is known for wearing gloves when she meets members of the public at public events or garden parties – but not at investitures where she hands out gongs and knighthoods to her subjects.

It appeared that yesterday she wore them for the first time in her reign as around a mile away in Downing Street Boris Johnson unveiled the Government’s ‘battle plan’ to tackle a major outbreak of the killer infection on British soil.

However, Prince William and Kate didn’t wear gloves as they started their three-day trio to Ireland and Prince Charles was also gloveless at a Royal College of Music event

The Government’s action plan states that the ‘vast majority’ of cases will have only mild-to-moderate effects on individuals, but points out that the virus is highly infectious.

‘As it is a new virus, the lack of immunity in the population (and the absence as yet of an effective vaccine) means that Covid 19 has the potential to spread extensively,’ the document says.

‘The current data seems to show that we are all susceptible to catching this disease, and thus it seems more likely than not that the UK will be significantly affected.’

‘The potential is there for this to be something that our country has to get through. But I have absolutely no doubt that we have the resources, we have the health service to get through it.’

The plan said that in the event of mass infections the Government ‘will aim to minimise the social and economic impact, subject to keeping people safe’.

There would be ‘population distancing strategies’ such as school closures, encouraging greater home working, and reducing the number of large scale gatherings to slow the spread of the disease.

Pensioners would be advised to stay away from events such as VE Day commemorations to avoid putting themselves at risk. However, experts say that an infected person is as likely to pass on the virus to 12 people in a pub as in a 70,000 seater stadium.

Police ‘would concentrate on responding to serious crimes and maintaining public order’ if forces suffer ‘a significant loss of officers and staff.’

Meanwhile, the armed forces could be called upon to ‘backfill’ gaps in emergency services and provide other assistance if required.

‘The Ministry of Defence has put in place plans to ensure the delivery of its operations in the UK and overseas. There are also well-practiced arrangements for Defence to support to civil authorities if requested,’ the document says.

The police could be asked to enforce road and building closures, and the Army could be drafted in to enforce lockdowns where necessary.

The report also highlighted the threat to the NHS, which could come under extreme pressure from a wave of a cases.

Under mitigation plans, non-coronavirus patients could be discharged early from hospital to recuperate at home, and routine operations postponed. Recently retired doctors, nurses and other staff could be brought back to help increase capacity.

A ‘worst case scenario’ would see 80 per cent of the UK population contract the virus, with up to a fifth of employees unable to work in ‘peak weeks’ – predicted to be in three months’ time.  

Scientists are still hoping that, if rapid spread can be staved off until the summer, warmer weather will help, but are becoming increasingly pessimistic about the prospects of avoiding a major outbreak in the UK. 

It comes as online travel agent Travel Republic today closed its office in London after one of its employees tested positive for coronavirus.

The company said its premises on London Road in Norbiton, south London, would be shut to staff while they undergo a deep clean.

It added that the patient was receiving medical attention and all staff have been told to ring NHS 111 if they are concerned or feel unwell.     

A spokeswoman for the company said: ‘We can confirm that a member of staff based at our London Road offices in Norbiton received a positive test for the Covid-19 virus yesterday.

‘They are now receiving medical attention. As a precaution, we have closed our offices today while a deep clean is undertaken and we receive further advice from the relevant authorities.

‘All staff have been notified and encouraged to contact the NHS 111 if they are concerned or feel unwell. 

‘Our primary concern at this time is the health of our staff, and we’re working with the authorities to ensure best practice guidelines are being followed.’

Meanwhile, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama cancelled all of its scheduled events until 11 March due to a teacher having the virus.

The unidentified man had come into contact with a ‘limited number’ of students last week, the school admitted in an email to staff and students.

Guildhall School of Music and Drama didn’t release any more information about the male teacher – but he is thought to teach music.

He was whisked off for treatment at London’s Royal Free Hospital, a specialist NHS centre for infectious diseases. 

In an email sent to staff and students, the school – ranked as one of the world’s best performing arts institutes – said he is ‘recovering well’. 

According to The Guardian, the note added: ‘He was present and teaching in one of the ancillary school buildings on one day last week. 

‘He came into contact with a limited number of students and we are working closely with those students to ensure that they receive urgent appropriate advice.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk