A third patient infected with the Middle Eastern virus infection in the UK has caused global alarm, it was revealed yesterday.
The latest case is a relative of a patient diagnosed last week – leading experts to fear that the virus passed between the two patients. The patient is being treated in Birmingham.
Just 11 people worldwide have so far been diagnosed with infection with the new coronavirus and five have died. All the cases have originated in the Middle East with deaths occurring in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Like SARS, another coronavirus, it is thought it is being contracted from animals.
Officials yesterday stepped up monitoring of the new virus, amid concern for the safety of healthcare professionals who have treated the patients.
The World Health Organisations said any patients with unexplained pneumonia should be tested for the virus.
Professor John Watson, of the UK Health Protection Agency, said: "Although this case provides strong evidence for person to person transmission, the risk of infection in most circumstances is still considered to be very low.
"If novel coronavirus were more infectious, we would have expected to have seen a larger number of cases than we have seen since the first case was reported three months ago.
"However, this new development does justify, the measures that were immediately put into place to prevent any further spread of infection and to identify and follow up contacts of known cases."
He added: "In light of this latest case we would like to emphasise that the risk associated with novel coronavirus to the general UK population remains very low."
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