- Two people in the UK have been infected with the Wuhan coronavirus, medical authorities in the UK said Friday.
- The cases are the first in the UK.
- "We can confirm that two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus," Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England said.
- More than 20 countries worldwide have now seen cases of the virus.
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Two people in the UK have been infected with the Wuhan coronavirus, medical authorities said Friday, the first cases of the virus in the country.
The cases have been confirmed in England, but it is not currently known exactly where in the country the patients are.
"We can confirm that two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus," Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England said in a statement.
"The patients are receiving specialist NHS care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus."
"We are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread," Whitty added.
The virus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has now spread to at least 20 countries worldwide.The vast majority of cases are in China, with almost 10,000 people in the country infected, and over 200 dead.
This is a developing story. More follows.