Two British Airways baggage handlers test positive for coronavirus amid fears a hospital patient in his 80s has become UK’s second virus death
- 116 cases diagnosed in Britain – 105 in England, six in Scotland, three in Northern Ireland and two in Wales
- A woman in her 70s last night became the first patient to die in the UK, after testing positive in Reading
- Hospital patient in his 80s with underlying health conditions feared to have become second death today
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Two British Airways baggage handlers have tested positive for coronavirus, the airline announced today.
‘Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed that two members of our staff have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus,’ BA said in a statement.
It came as a hospital patient in his 80s with underlying health conditions is feared to have become Britain’s second coronavirus death.
‘Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed that two members of our staff have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus,’ BA said today in a statement
Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England and Wales, said people can catch the illness by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching their face.
And the coronavirus may stay contagious on hard metal or plastic surfaces like door handles or rails on buses or trains for as long as three days, he added.
Some scientists have even suggested the virus may be more likely to spread on the hands than it is through the air.
Passengers wear surgical masks as they board a British Airways flight from Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport today