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Coronavirus: UK to conduct test for intensive care patients

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The United Kingdom government’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said on Monday that hospital patients with pneumonia and other respiratory infections would be tested for coronavirus.

According to an update on the virus posted by worldometer.info on its website, Coronavirus cases increased to 113,752 around the world on Monday with 3,990 deaths. The total cases in the UK stood at 321 after 43 new cases were detected. Four persons have been reported dead from the virus in the UK while 18 have recovered after contracting the virus. Around the world, 62,832 individuals have been reported to have recovered from the virus.

It said Nigeria, Cambodia, Morocco, Albania, Cameroon, Cyprus, Faroe Island, Martinique and St Martins were among the countries with the lowest cases, with two cases each. Nigeria reported its second case through the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire on Monday.

BBC reported that the UK chief medical officer said, “At the moment, we are screening everybody who is in intensive care for coronavirus if they have symptoms that are compatible with coronavirus – so if they have a very bad pneumonia.

“We will be extending that out now, as from tomorrow, to everybody who has a significant enough pneumonia or other respiratory tract infection to get into hospital at all.”

BBC added that the virus had been reported in a prison. It said that in Italy, riots were reported at 27 jails and six people died at a penitentiary in Modena after inmates were told friends and family would not be allowed to visit. It stated that Iran released 70,000 prisoners in its bid to try to tackle the virus.

“Amid global concerns over coronavirus and falling oil prices, the financial market took a big hit. Shares in London plummeted with the FTSE plunging 8 per cent to its lowest level in three years. In New York, trading was halted for 15 minutes after stocks fell.

“Airlines have already felt the brunt of the outbreak and now they have been forced to cancel more flights. British Airways and Easyjet will stop running their routes to northern Italy until at least 3 April.”

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