nCoV Onward Transmission - Singapore to Contamines-Montjoie Cluster To London

[niman]

A British businessman traveling from Singapore to the Contamines-Montjoie ski resort in France to London has been linked to a cluster of five at the ski resort, with additional contacts in London under investigation. He was the third confirmed case in England,and the cluster in ski resort were case numbers 7-11 for France.

https://www.lefigaro.fr/sciences/coronavirus-5-nouveaux-cas-en-france-20200208

[niman]

Coronavirus: five new cases in France announces Buzyn, two schools closed in Haute-Savoie
Investigations are underway to determine the people who were in contact with the five new confirmed cases of coronavirus in Haute-Savoie.

By Le Figaro with AFP
Posted 12 hours ago, updated 6 hours ago

The Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn announced on Saturday February 8 that 5 new cases of the 2019-nCov virus had been detected in France. They are four adults and one child. "Their clinical condition shows no sign of seriousness," said the minister. These people were hospitalized in Lyon, Grenoble and Saint-Etienne.

Agnès Buzyn, the Minister of Health, confirms this Saturday February 8 that five new cases of coronavirus have been detected in France. It is a "cluster", a group of people contaminated by an initial case.

"An initial case was reported to us last night, it is a British national returning from Singapore where he had stayed from January 20 to 23," said Agnes Buzyn. He stayed in France from 24 to 28 January in a chalet in Contamines-Montjoie, in Haute-Savoie. In this chalet are two apartments. In the first, three people - including the initial case - were diagnosed "positive" and four others suffered from minor symptoms. In the second apartment, a father and his 9-year-old child were also infected. The mother, who was not present, was taken into hospital on British soil.

In addition to the five people positive for the new coronavirus, six other "close contacts" of this British national - who is no longer on national territory -, who lived in the same chalet, were therefore hospitalized on the night of Friday to Saturday by precautionary measure, according to the minister. All are of British nationality.

The authorities are currently tracing the close contacts of these people. This is the case of the 9-year-old child “who has stayed in two educational establishments including that of the commune of Contamines where he is resident and who has been in a school in Saint-Gervais for one day for French lessons ”, explained Jean-Yves Grall, director of the Regional Health Agency, during a press conference this Saturday afternoon.
 

Following this discovery, the two schools the child visited will be closed next week "to allow further investigation". Children in these schools will be monitored to "find out if they have been in contact with the sick child and check if they have any problems". "A certain number of arrangements will be made for the other children and their parents" who will receive a letter from the French Ministry of Education indicating the arrangements to be made.

Crisis cells at the Marie des Contamines will be permanently open this Saturday evening. At the departmental level, another unit linked to the Regional Health Agency (ARS) at the prefecture. A specific telephone number, 0800 100 379, has been set up for those affected by this grouping of several cases.

 

[niman]

Third UK Case of Coronavirus 2019-nCoV Confirmed

Dawn O'Shea

February 07, 2020

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Public Health England (PHE) have announced a third case of coronavirus 2019-nCoV. The UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the public from low to moderate.

As of 5th February, a total of 566 UK tests have concluded, of which 563 were confirmed negative and three were positive.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has advised UK nationals to leave China where possible. FCO cautions that if the situation continues to escalate it may become harder for people to travel.

In its latest update, PHE says the advice has changed based on emerging information from China about the number of cases and the spread of infection from person to person. However, the agency that this is “a highly precautionary measure to limit the potential spread of infection”.

 

PHE advises that, based on current evidence, 2019-nCov presents with flu-like symptoms including a fever, a cough, or difficulty breathing. The current evidence is that most cases appear to be mild. Those who have died in Wuhan appear to have had pre-existing health conditions.

The third patient is being treated at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London. In a statement to patients on its website the hospital said: "We are currently treating a patient with coronavirus. As the patient is being treated in isolation, there is absolutely no risk to any other patients or visitors. All of our services remain open as usual, so if you have a hospital appointment please attend as planned."

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/924924