A HOSPITAL in London is in lockdown after two patients tested positive for deadly coronavirus.
Visitors have been banned seeing sick relatives on certain wards at King's College Hospital to stop the spread of the killer bug.
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It emerged yesterday two people tested positive in the hospital for the disease as the number of UK cases rocketed to 90.
But it is not clear if they caught Covid-19 at King's or where they are currently being treated.
One of the cases was a patient on the Health and Ageing Unit, which treats frail pensioners with fractures.
The other is said to be a student at King's College London in the School of Immunology and Microbiology, The Telegraph reports.
Staff are now restricted from entering the ward where the elderly patient was infected and other people receiving treatment are now being tested.
Brits have been warned people are likely to die from the virus – especially elderly and vulnerable patients.
The son of a 75-year-old stroke sufferer said he received a call from the hospital yesterday alerting him to the outbreak with a warning not to visit his dad.
He told the newspaper: "Apparently, the positive patient was already being kept in a separate room inside the ward, so that might slow down the spread.
"But I’m certainly worried. Everyone on that ward is old and vulnerable, and we know coronavirus affects those over 70 worst.
"We're already concerned about my dad’s illness. I haven't been able to speak to him yet. To think he might now be at risk from coronavirus is the last thing we need."
The hospital confirmed two patients had tested positive and urged anyone who has symptoms to call 111.
A spokesman added: "We have strict protocols in place to manage the control of infection and to reduce the possibility of cross-infection, and this includes restricting access for staff and visitors to the ward.
"Public Health England experts are carrying out contact tracing and will be in touch with individuals who may have been exposed to the virus to provide them with advice."
CORONAVIRUS PANIC
It comes as coronavirus panic continues to grip the UK – with cases in Britain exploding to 90 in the biggest 24-hour increase in the virus to date.
Three of the new cases involve patients who contracted the disease in the UK as health experts warn a 'significant pandemic' could be just weeks away.
There were 34 confirmed new cases across the UK alone yesterday as the spread of the disease accelerates across Britain.
Health chiefs now fear the virus could be spreading in hospitals – with 36 of the new cases in Britain identified as NHS patients.
Three of the new cases were discovered in NHS wards as fears grow the disease is being spread among patients.
How to protect yourself from coronavirus
The new coronavirus is continuing to sweep its way across the globe with Britain seeing more cases in people who aren't linked to outbreaks overseas.
Symptoms of Covid-19 can include:
- a cough
- a high temperature
- difficulty breathing
In most cases, you won't know whether you have a coronavirus or a different cold-causing virus.
But if a coronavirus infection spreads to the lower respiratory tract, it can cause pneumonia, especially in older people, people with heart disease or people with weakened immune systems.
It is incredibly contagious and is spread through contact with anything the virus is on as well as infected breath, coughs or sneezes.
The best way to prevent catching any form of coronavirus is to practice good hygiene.
If you have cold-like symptoms, you can help protect others by staying home when you are sick and avoiding contact with others.
Call NHS 111 if you suffer any of these symptoms.
Source: NHS
As well as the two cases at King's College Hospital in the capital, one patient was found to have coronavirus in a Manchester hospital.
Medics are now said to be concerned as none of the patients had travelled to infected countries.
A further four of the new cases are health service workers – including a female NHS hospital worker in Cumbria.
Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England and Wales, said today the UK has "mainly" moved into the second "delay" phase of its battle against the deadly virus.
This means it is inevitable the virus will spread across the country and efforts will be made to slow it down, rather than stop it.
The NHS has declared its highest level of emergency to fight the disease.
Coronavirus has rapidly spread globally after an outbreak in ground zero Wuhan in Hubei Province, China.
There have been 3,286 deaths so far and more than 95,000 cases as the virus explodes at an alarming rate.
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