Coronavirus: Fifth person dies in UK after contracting COVID-19
Written by News on 10/03/2020
A fifth person has died in the UK after contracting coronavirus.
The victim was in their 70s and had underlying health conditions.
They had tested positive for COVID-19 – the disease caused by coronavirus – and passed away in St Helier Hospital in Carshalton, south London.
Daniel Elkeles, chief executive for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We can confirm that sadly, a patient in their seventies who was very unwell with a number of significant and long-term health conditions has passed away at St Helier Hospital.
“They had tested positive for COVID-19.”
Earlier, it was announced a woman in her 70s, who also had underlying health conditions and had been treated in a Wolverhampton hospital, had also died.
She is believed to have caught the virus in Britain.
The number of confirmed infections in the UK has risen by 46 to 319 over the last 24 hours, according to the latest government figures.
The previous day’s rise was 67.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has admitted the UK will almost certainly move from the “contain” phase of tackling the outbreak to the “delay” stage.
Public Health England will continue to trace close contacts of anybody diagnosed with COVID-19 in the containment phase, advising them to self-isolate at home to delay the spread of the virus.
But anyone with respiratory tract infection symptoms – such as flu or cold – or a fever is likely be asked to stay at home in self-isolation before too long, England’s chief medical officer has said.
Professor Chris Whitty said: “We are now very close to the time, probably within the next 10 to 14 days, when the modelling would imply we should move to a situation where everybody with even minor respiratory tract infections or a fever should be self-isolating for a period of seven days.”
Some 280 of the total coronavirus cases are in England, with London having the most at 61.
The figures reflect the situation at 9am on Monday and show that nearly 25,000 people have been tested so far.
There are now six infected people in Wales.
Five of the new cases are in Scotland, taking the total there to 23.
Three more people have COVID-19 in Ireland, taking the total confirmed cases to 24.
All five people who have died in the UK after being treated for coronavirus had pre-existing health conditions.
On Sunday, it was announced a man in his 60s had died in North Manchester General Hospital.
Last week, a woman in 70s died in hospital in Reading, Berkshire, while an 83-year-old man died at Milton Keynes University Hospital.
In the capital, Transport for London (TfL) said it was carrying out a “deep clean” of a Southwark office used by a worker who had tested positive.
The organisation did not specify their job, but the building is where it monitors London’s roads and controls the Tube network.
The latest figures come as Boris Johnson held an emergency COBRA meeting over the outbreak.
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The Department for Health and Social Care has said those returning from the quarantine areas should self-isolate for 14 days at home – even if they have no symptoms.
Budget airline easyJet is also cancelling some flights to Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, Venice and Verona airports, with further flight reductions expected.
British Airways said it was “reviewing our schedule” and offering passengers the chance to change their booking.
Other UK developments:
- More than £125bn wiped from FTSE 100 share index on Monday
- Cancelling sports events and closing public places would be “premature” – culture secretary
- Supermarkets place restrictions on items including pasta, anti-bacterial wipes and hand soap
- Grand Princess cruise ship with more than 140 Britons on board has docked in Oakland, California
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