Four British adults and a child have tested positive to the deadly coronavirus in the Contamines-Montjoie ski resort in the French Alps. The five persons had stayed in the same chalet with another infected British citizen who just returned from Singapore.
“That original case was brought to our attention last night, it is a British national who had returned from Singapore where he had stayed between January 20 and 23, and he arrived in France on January 24 for four days,” said French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn.
It is not only the five infected British nationals that contracted coronavirus after coming into contact with the original virus carrier, six other people who stayed at the resort chalet also got infected with the disease, bringing the total to 11. These people are currently undergoing treatment in the French cities of Lyon, Grenoble, and Saint Etienne. Health Minister Buzyn said no one in the group is in a critical condition.
French authorities have contacted Britain and Singapore over the newly infected persons. They have begun to check the rooms where the persons stayed at the ski chalet, and Singaporean authorities are conducting investigations into a conference held at a hotel and attended by 94 foreigners between January 20 and 23. Other people who came into contact with the five British nationals and the others who stayed at the ski resort are also being contacted with instructions on what to do.
The British man is the third person to be infected with coronavirus in Britain, and a total of 11 infected cases in France. The coronavirus started in the Chinese town of Wuhan and almost 35,000 have been infected globally with up to 800 deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the disease has spread to 25 countries around the world.
Many countries have put a structure on ground to quarantine nationals arriving from China, while some countries have suspended air flights to and from China and asked nationals in China to stay put where they are. Other countries are also looking at ways of helping patients and preventing the spread of the disease.
Coronavirus affects the respiratory system and infected individuals usually experience fever, dry cough, and respiratory infections. These symptoms are similar to that of flu, and patients are likely to recover but it is best to inform health authorities in case of worsening situations and the risks of infecting others.
Source:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51425702