Coronavirus latest news: Four new cases confirmed in the UK as Brighton GP clinic closes

The Telegraph ^ | 10 FEBRUARY 2020 | Sarah Newey Chris Graham Jordan Kelly-Linden Global Health Security Team LaToya Harding

[DannyTN]

• Briton tests positive in Spain as fourth case is confirmed in UK
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• Coronavirus consequences 'may be comparable' to flu pandemics
• Analysis: super spreaders could disrupt efforts to contain outbreak
• Coronavirus: a quick guide to the outbreak sweeping the world

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Four more people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the UK this morning, including two health care workers. The new cases take the total number of infections in England to eight.

It comes as the Telegraph has learned that a quarantined British patient threatening to abscond from coronavirus facilities has forced the Health Secretary to tighten quarantine rules.

[Ellendra]

I’m wondering how many clinics don’t bother testing because they assume the symptoms are from a regular cold or flu?

From several accounts, this virus has a mild phase, then a seeming recovery, before the severe symptoms kick in. How sick do people have to be before the clinic takes them seriously enough to test for it? Especially if they don’t have the obvious risk factors, like having traveled to China?

[DannyTN]

I’m wondering the same thing.

I think the guidelines were to only test if someone had been to Wuhan or china or had been in close contact with someone who had.

And it sounds like from the time they develop cold or flu, it’s another 7 days before they get critical.

And then there are reports that people are appearing to recover with mild symptoms only to die of organ failure.

[crz]

Yes, But my father and aunts and uncles talked about how she got the flu and her lungs filled up. They also called it consumption. She never had TB. The death certificate listed it as consumption. Dont ask me why..

[terart]

I read the whole article...something that stuck out and concerned me—

“a reporter in Hong King found many provinces and cities had begun subtracting confirmed cases from the records the last few days. The move happened because the National Health and Medical Commission apparently changed the definition of what constitutes a “confirmed” case. Patients who test positive but have no confirmed symptoms will no longer be counted. The disguise prevented the public from knowing the actual number of infections”

[Ellendra]

My dad and I are both sick, with what I sincerely hope is just a normal cold. I’m pretty sure if I went to a clinic and asked them to test for coronavirus, they’d refuse because I don’t have any risk factors.

But two weeks from now, will they call me an idiot for NOT getting tested?

[Norseman]

>> Patients who test positive but have no confirmed symptoms will no longer be counted.<<

That would make sense if you look at the rate of increase in the various provinces. Cases are now increasing only 4 or 5% per day, compared to the 15-20% that cases were increasing in Hubai province until recently.

Xi announced at a health meeting on Feb 3 that the outbreak had to be brought under control. Immediately after that, reported cases outside of Hubai started to decelerate. And one province has over 1,000 cases, but zero deaths (and nearly 200 recoveries.)

And in Hubai province the 2500 to 3000 new case per day could be just the tip of the iceburg. That might be the upper limit on how many they can test per day, for instance.

I doubt the numbers being reported for China bear any semblance to reality on the ground, but with social media so severely restricted in all of China, it will be difficult to tell how bad the situation is.

[DannyTN]

I’m guessing that They probably wouldn’t test you for Coronavirus but they probably would test you for flu. You could call them and ask if they will test you for flu.

[Norseman]

For the answer, just ask yourself what would happen if everyone with a cold and/or fever went and requested the test today. Even if they were all denied, it would put an undue strain on the system—and almost certainly negatively affect the care of the patients already in the system for all sorts of health reasons.

Still, it’s good that you ask the question. Hopefully those with any risk factor whatsoever are also asking it, and deciding to get checked out, as they should.

[DannyTN]

The whole nation is red on the CDC map with flu.

[Norseman]

>>I suspect for many on that ship it’s not what they were breathing, but what they were touching<<

Maybe, but still, if it’s airborne it’s likely that everyone on the ship is already exposed regardless what they touched. Right now, each of them is a guinea pig. If I were on it, I’d want to be moved to a quarantine where I wasn’t breathing the same air as everyone else, although it might be too late for that now.