Coronavirus: Third UK patient is diagnosed in Brighton
A THIRD person in the UK has been diagnosed with the coronavirus.
According to The Guardian, the patient was diagnosed in Brighton, East Sussex – and has since been transported from the city for treatment.
Chief medical officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty, said: ‘A further patient has tested positive for coronavirus bringing the total number of cases in the UK to three. The individual did not acquire this in the UK.
‘The patient is being transferred to a specialist NHS centre, and we are using robust infection control measures to prevent any possible further spread of the virus.
‘The NHS is well-prepared to manage these cases and we are now working quickly to identify any contacts the patient has had.’
Earlier this week an individual had been kept in isolation in Southampton after feeling unwell on their return from China, but tests showed this was not coronavirus.
Two other cases of the coronavirus have been diagnosed in the UK so far; a student from the University of York and his mother.
They are currently undergoing treatment at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.
The Department of Health says it will continue working closely with the World Health Organization and the international community as the coronavirus outbreak in China develops.
So far, 563 people have died as a result of the virus.