DM1ST(^4) DAILY MIRROR THURSDAY 05.03.
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS: NhS Set tO CANCel NON-URgeNt OpS
positive for coronavirus after returning
to China. Public Health England said:
“We are working with EDF to identify
anyone with symptoms who may have
come into contact with the case in the
weeks before they left.”
While our immunity to the new
virus is still low, around one in 100
who get it are expected to die. The
elderly and those with underlying
health conditions are most at risk.
latest cases. The North Cumbria
Integrated Care NHS Foundation
Trust said the staff member had
self-isolated since returning from a
trip to northern Italy.
There were yesterday two confirmed
cases in Northern Ireland.
People also tested positive in
Manchester and London.
A 35-year-old who worked at energy
firm EDF in Somerset has tested
House of Lords, are elderly and at
greater risk. Experts predict the UK
outbreak could last four to six months.
They also believe it may become
endemic in Britain – meaning it is
permanently resident and seasonal
peaks will have to be battled each year.
A hospital worker at the
Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle,
Cumbria – reportedly a woman in her
30s – was confirmed as one of the
governing the
country in the
event of a wide-
spread outbreak.
A No 10 source
said Parliament
would “have to”
stay open. It
comes after fears
many politicians,
particularly in the
THE WAVE IS COMING
»» Biggest rise as cases
in UK up from 51 to 87
»» ‘Up to 2m in hospital
and 530,000 deaths’
the NhS is braced for a flood of
coronavirus cases that could leave
non-vital services shut down and
routine operations cancelled as
stretched staff struggle to cope.
Chief Medical Officer for England,
Professor Chris Whitty, yesterday
warned there would likely be deaths
from the worsening outbreak, with
hospitals ordered to prepare for up to
two million admissions.
He spoke after the number of cases
in Britain leapt from 51 to 87, the
biggest jump so far. Three of the 32
new cases were passed on in the UK,
raising fears that community
transmission may now be taking hold.
If infection rates hit 80%, as they
have in Wuhan, China – the source of
the infection – that could mean as
many as 530,000 deaths here.
The Government admitted the UK
was on the verge of abandoning its
“containment” strategy and moving to
the “delay” phase.pre SSure
Prof Whitty said: “A wave is almost
certainly coming but we do not know
the size. I think it is almost certain
there will be more cases in the UK and
we would expect some deaths, yes.
“If we get a much larger wave, then
the first thing we would do is to cancel
those things that can be delayed, push
them out to a later point when it’s
safer to do them, and then if it gets to
a very large wave, then we would need
to reconfigure the NHS.
“If this turns into a very large
epidemic, then it will put very high
pressure on the NHS.
“Three additional patients
contracted the virus in the UK and it
is not yet clear whether they
contracted it directly or indirectly
from an individual who recently
returned from abroad.”
It is feared up to a fifth
of NHS staff could be off
sick due to the virus.
A rise in infections is
expected in the next
six weeks and once
that has happened
draconian new “social
distancing” measures
may be introduced.
These could include
school closures, axing public
gatherings and even advice to avoid
shaking hands and kissing.
Under government plans, many
patients will have to see doctors over
video calls rather than attend hospital.
The national battle scheme has
predicted the two million hospital
admissions, in a worst case scenario.
In extreme circumstances the NHS
could be shut to all but critical care.
Discussions have taken place with
Parliamentary authorities aboutby martin bagot Health Editor and
PiPPa Crerar Political Editorbuckingham Palace investiture.
Charles and Camilla rode to the
museum on an electric double-decker
bus from a temporary bus stop outside
Clarence House.
As the Prince of Wales unveiled a
plaque for TfL’s two decades he
praised its “pure genius”. He told staff:
“It is remarkable how you do it, how
you manage to make such an immense
operation work so well.”lONdON
O xfORd
braCeD NHS call centre in GlasgowFear DIY masks
hitting the streetsDrive-in tests at Parsons GreenPod at John Radcliffe HospitalCamilla cracks
‘self-isolating’
joke on visit
THE Duchess of Cornwall seemed to
joke about coronavirus during a royal
visit with Charles.
Camilla stepped into an one-person
air raid shelter at London Transport
Museum and said: “I’m self-isolating.”
She wore gloves during the trip to
mark 20 years of Transport for
London. It came a day after the Queen
wore large white gloves for what was
believed to be the first time at a
gimme shelter Camilla at museum