There are likely to be “many more cases” of suspected coronavirus across the UK, a professor has said as four people undergo tests in Scotland.
Three people are being tested in Edinburgh and another case is believed to be in Glasgow, Professor Jurgen Haas said.
READ MORE: China coronavirus: Four people in Scotland tested for suspected virus
While none of the patients have been confirmed as having the disease, the head of infection medicine at the University of Edinburgh said he believes there will probably be similar cases in “many other cities” in the UK.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was questioned about the risk to people in Scotland at First Minister’s Questions at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday.
17 people have died and nearly 600 have been infected by a virus that appears to have originated in China.
Cases have since been detected in the US, South Korea, Japan and Thailand, and efforts are now underway to stop the virus from spreading further.
The Chinese Government has effectively locked down Wuhan, cancelling planes and trains there and in the nearby city of Huanggang.
– What is it?
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars).
The strain that has recently emerged is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
– How did it come about?
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says.
The first cases identified were among people connected to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan.
Cases have since been identified elsewhere which could have been spread through human-to-human transmission.
– How is it spread?
Questions remain about the outbreak’s nature and mode of transmission.
Chinese government expert Zhong Nanshan revealed on state television that human-to-human transmission had been confirmed.
WHO says some coronaviruses can be transmitted in this way, usually after close contact with an infected person, for example, in a household workplace, or healthcare centre.
Dr Nathalie MacDermott, National Institute for Health Research academic clinical lecturer, King’s College London, said: “While data is still limited it appears likely that the Wuhan Coronavirus is spread through contact with an infected person’s secretions and respiratory droplet infection – this is contact with small particles in the air that occur when an infected person coughs or sneezes.”
– What are the symptoms?
Initial symptoms of the novel coronavirus include fever, cough, tightness of the chest, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
More severe cases can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death.
There are no specific treatments for a new coronavirus but symptoms can be treated.
– What is the scale of the problem?
The new type of coronavirus appears to have originated in the central city of Wuhan, which has reported 198 cases, including all of the fatalities. Others who have been diagnosed in Beijing, Shanghai and southern Guangdong province had also visited Wuhan.
Cases have since been detected in Chinese travellers in South Korea, Japan and Thailand.
Fears are growing that the increased travel expected over the upcoming Lunar New Year period could aid the spread.
Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of Wellcome, said: “It is possible that the often mild symptoms, and probability of people being affected and infectious without experiencing symptoms (asymptomatic) from this coronavirus may be masking the true numbers of people who have been infected, and the extent of person-to-person transmission.
“It is also probable that we are looking at patients being affected over a number of days from multiple animal sources and with some degree of human-to-human transmission.”
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