“It is likely that Wales will see cases of Novel Coronavirus” says Public Health Wales

Public Health Wales has said it is “working closely” with the Welsh Government and the other UK public health agencies to carefully monitor the situation in Wuhan.

The health body has implemented a planned response “with robust infection control measures in place to protect the health of the public.”

Two members of the same family have become the first to test positive for coronavirus in the UK, the chief medical officer for England announced today.

They are both receiving specialist NHS care.

At least 213 people in the China have died from the virus, mostly in Hubei, with almost 10,000 cases nationally.

There have been 98 cases of the virus in another 18 countries.

Dr Quentin Sandifer, Executive Director of Public Health Services and Strategic Director for the Novel Coronavirus Response in Wales, said:

“Public Health Wales is working closely with our partners in England and the other UK nations, the Welsh Government, the wider NHS in Wales, and others to monitor the situation closely now that we have the first confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus in the UK.

“It is likely that Wales will see cases of Novel Coronavirus, and we are reassuring the public that we are working with our partners in Wales and the UK, and have implemented our planned response, with robust infection control measures in place to protect the health of the public.”

Coronavirus presents with flu-like symptoms including a fever, a cough, or difficulty breathing.

Public Health Wales says, the ”current evidence is that most cases appear to be mild.”