Photo Credit NIAID
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The HPA today announced that a second family member of the man, recently returned from the Middle East with a novel coronavirus (NCoV) infection (see WHO Update on Novel Coronavirus (NCoV), has now tested positive.
Unlike the other cases of which we are aware, this person is reportedly only experiencing mild symptoms and is not currently hospitalized.
As NCoV is a recently recognized virus - with only a dozen confirmed cases - our knowledge the range of symptoms and pathogenicity of this virus is still fairly limited. A mild case does add some credence to the idea that there may be cases in the Middle East going unrecognized.
Still, epidemiological investigations have followed up on hundred of contacts of known cases, and yet we have only 12 cases identified. While limited transmission may be occurring, it obviously isn’t currently spreading in an efficient or sustained manner.
This from the HPA.
Third case of novel coronavirus infection identified in family cluster
15 February 2013
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) can confirm a third case of novel coronavirus infection in a family cluster, following the confirmed diagnosis of two cases announced earlier this week. The patient, who is a UK resident and does not have any recent travel history, is recovering from a mild respiratory illness and is currently well. This latest case brings the total number of confirmed cases globally to 12, of which four have been diagnosed in the UK.
Professor John Watson, head of the respiratory diseases department at the HPA, said: "Although this patient had a mild form of respiratory illness, as a precaution the HPA is advising that the patient self-isolate and limit contact with non-household members. Follow up of other household members and contacts of this case is currently underway.
“Although this case appears to be due to person-to-person transmission, the risk of infection in contacts in most circumstances is still considered to be 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.
“We would like to emphasise that the risk associated with novel coronavirus to the general UK population remains very low. The HPA will continue to work closely with national and international health authorities and will share any further advice with health professionals and the public if and when more information becomes available."
