Three patients are being treated in Edinburgh with a fourth thought to be held in isolation at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. All the patients had respiratory symptoms and had been in Wuhan, thought to be the source of the outbreak, in the last 14 days. Professor Juergen, head of infection medicine at Edinburgh University, said it was “very likely” that cases would be confirmed in the UK.

The new strain of the virus has so far killed 17 people in China and there are more than 500 confirmed cases.

A statement from Scotland’s Department of Health and Social Care said: “We have been carefully monitoring the situation in Wuhan for some time and are ready to put in place proportionate, precautionary measures.

“From today, enhanced monitoring will be in place from all direct flights from Wuhan to the UK.

“The enhanced monitoring package includes a number of measures that will help to provide advice to travellers if they feel unwell.

“For those travelling back directly from Wuhan, this includes a port health team who will meet each direct flight aircraft to provide advice and support to those that feel unwell.”

Heathrow Airport has axed all flights from Wuhan following the deadly outbreak. There are normally three direct flights from the Chinese city to London every week.

The Chinese city has gone into lockdown, along with another city, Huanggang, since the virus struck. 

Professor Juergen believes cases of the virus will be reported in the UK.

He said: “In any European countries there is a danger that these cases occur.

“Here at the University of Edinburgh we have more than 2,000 students from China and they are always coming and going back to China so we are relatively sure we will have cases in the UK from travellers coming back from China.”

He warned that the spread of the virus might increase as more people travelled around for Chinese New Year, within China and to other countries.

More to follow…

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