Fears of a coronavirus outbreak at two NHS hospitals in Buckinghamshire were today raised after a ‘handful’ of patients were tested for the killer infection.
A number of patients at Wycombe Hospital and Stoke Mandeville Hospital, both run by Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust, have been diagnosed.
Wards have been closed and staff that dealt with the patients have been warned they could potentially have caught the life-threatening infection.
It is not clear if the patients were already being treated at the hospital, and therefore caught the deadly bug inside, or if they arrived to be tested for coronavirus.
Officials have admitted the infection has been spreading in Britain between humans for at least two weeks.
Fears of a coronavirus outbreak at two NHS hospitals in Buckinghamshire were today raised after a ‘handful’ of patients were tested for the killer infection
Others tested positive at Wycombe Hospital, also in Buckinghamshire
A statement by Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust said: ‘A small number of patients at Wycombe Hospital and Stoke Mandeville Hospital have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
‘The patients are being cared for appropriately at the hospitals where they continue to be monitored and treated.
‘Staff and others who have come into contact with the patients are being informed and advised about what precautions they may need to take.
‘The wards affected are temporarily closed to new admissions and visitors. Patients affected by the temporary closures will be contacted directly.’
It comes as officials announced 596 people in the UK have tested positive for COVID0-19, and ten people have died.
At this point it is unclear if the hospital cases in Buckinghamshire are included in the total toll. However, it is unlikely considering only two cases in the county have been officially recorded to health chiefs.
Clusters of cases have been appearing in specific spots within the UK, proving the coronavirus is spreading between people who don’t have a travel history to high-risk countries.
A second member of staff at Aintree Hospital in Liverpool has been infected with coronavirus after it was revealed that a top surgeon at the hospital had become infected with the virus after a recent trip to Italy.
The surgeon’s diagnosis came after he had already been back at work in the hospital for several days.
It is thought that the latest case is a member of staff who came into contact with the surgeon.
Efforts are now being made to trace anyone who may have been in ‘close contact’ with the second staff member.
A statement by Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust said: ‘A small number of patients at Wycombe Hospital and Stoke Mandeville Hospital have tested positive for coronavirus’
Officials announced 596 people in the UK have tested positive for COVID0-19, and ten people have died. 491 of the current cases are in England, 60 are in Scotland, 20 are in Northern Ireland and 25 are in Wales
A spokesperson for Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘We can confirm that a second member of staff at Aintree University Hospital has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
‘They were identified, informed and advised as part of contact tracing related to an existing case.
‘The member of staff concerned has been asked to self-isolate at home. This tried and tested method is to ensure we are able to minimise any risk to them, our patients and the wider public.
‘Advice has been sought from PHE experts and the chance of transmission to staff and patients in the wider hospital setting is considered to be low.’
Other areas seeing a cluster of cases emerge include University of Oxford, where three more students have tested positive.
A total of five at the prestigious university of England have now been reported.
The first student, who tested positive four days ago after returning from a trip abroad, reportedly self-isolated as soon as they felt unwell.
At the time, Public Health England (PHE) said the risk to other students and staff was ‘very low’, and the university was taking it ‘very seriously’.
In a statement today, the university said: ‘All close contacts will be issued with health advice about symptoms and emergency contact details to use if they become unwell in the 14 days after contact with the confirmed cases.’
A school in Cumbria has closed after two linked people haven fallen ill with confirmed COVID-19.
Cumbria County Council said Trinity School in Carlisle would close on Thursday, following advice from Public Health England, an re-open on March 23 after a deep clean is carried out.
The second person at the school who tested positive had been in contact with the original coronavirus case – a teacher at the school.
Cumbria’s director of public health Colin Cox said: ‘It is likely there will be more cases confirmed within the school community and locally over the coming days… self-isolation is only recommended if people develop symptoms.’
Health chiefs revealed 491 of the current cases are in England, 60 are in Scotland, 20 are in Northern Ireland and 25 are in Wales
The 140 jump in patients was Britain’s biggest daily increase yet, and the first time the day-on-day increase has been in three figures.
It means the UK’s outbreak is now 40 times bigger than it was a fortnight ago.
NHS officials revealed the two most recent victims had underlying conditions. One was a woman in her sixties and was in hospital in Essex, the other was an 89-year-old who passed away in London.
It comes after Boris Johnson today faced warnings the coronavirus crisis could run out of control unless he takes drastic action, as the UK’s tactics look increasingly out of step with other countries.
No10 has dismissed suggestions they will emulate Ireland, which announced this morning that it will close all schools and colleges, as well as cancelling a St Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin.
Scotland is also expected to step up its response, as Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today declared that she is ‘minded’ to cancel mass gatherings of over 500 people from the start of next week.
Meanwhile, in other countries across the globe, Italy is in total lockdown, America shuts its doors to travellers from Europe and the streets of China are desolate.
But Mr Johnson today chaired an emergency Cobra committee where he declared the UK’s tactics will shift from ‘containing’ the killer disease to merely ‘delaying’ its inevitable spread.