Most UK coronavirus infections could be spread unwittingly by people who have contracted the deadly illness but not yet shown symptoms.
Scientists believe that up to three-quarters of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the Far East caught the bug from those who already had the virus.
Obtained from studying communities across China, Singapore, and Tianjin, the results suggest incubators were not showing any symptoms of the illness.
The unsettling discovery has disheartened infectious-disease researchers, following a day of disappointment in the UK following Boris Johnson’s press briefing.
Scientists believe that up to three-quarters of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the Far East caught the bug from those who already had the virus (London, March 7)
Obtained from studying communities across China, Singapore, and Tianjin, the results suggest incubators were not showing any symptoms of the illness (London, March 12)
The unsettling discovery has disheartened infectious-disease researchers, following a day of disappointment in the UK following Boris Johnson’s press briefing (London, March 5)
At a No 10 press briefing yesterday, the Prime Minister called the coronavirus outbreak the ‘worst public health crisis in a generation’.
He also warned the ‘most dangerous phase’ was just weeks away.
Mr Johnson said families would ‘lose loved ones’, while chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance claimed up to 10,000 people could already have the virus.
Prof Steven Riley of Imperial College London, who was not involved, told The Guardian: ‘This is one of the first things we were worried about when the outbreak began. This is one thing we really didn’t want to go this way.’
In China, between 65 percent and 87 percent of infections came from people incubating the virus. In Singapore, the range was 45 percent and 84 percent.
Team researcher Tapiwa Ganyani believes it is ‘unlikely’ that isolating sick people will slow the outbreak, calling for ‘additional measures, such as social distancing’.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister called the coronavirus outbreak the ‘worst public health crisis in a generation’ and warned the ‘worst’ was just weeks away (Cardiff, March 11)
Pictured: Pedestrians wearing face masks walk along a bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, March 12
Pictured: People wearing protective face masks on Oxford Street, March 6
Pictured: A young man wearing a face mask walks past a traditional British red phone box just off Parliament Square in central London, March 11
The Prime Minister refused to prevent huge public gatherings including sports fixtures and concerts despite Scotland and Ireland imposing or advocating bans.
He did concede, though, that his Government was ‘considering’ restricting large gatherings after he was accused of ‘complacency’ and ‘playing roulette’.
Yesterday, Mr Johnson chaired an emergency Cobra committee, where it was decided to shift the UK’s tactics in fighting coronavirus from a policy of ‘containment’ to ‘delaying’ its inevitable spread.
The Prime Minister said he was following ‘scientific advice’ which dictated that ‘banning such events will have little effect on the spread’.
School trips abroad should be stopped while people over 70 with serious medical conditions should not go on cruises. But schools will not be closed yet.
Mr Johnson said the disease was ‘particularly dangerous’ for the elderly, as he called upon ‘millions of people to help and support each other’. He claimed that most people would experience a ‘mild-to-moderate illness’.
Sir Patrick, who spoke after the Prime Minister, told the press briefing over 20 people in the UK with the virus were in intensive care units. ‘Currently we are on a trajectory that looks as though it is about four weeks or so behind Italy,’ he added.
England’s Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty said the NHS will alter its approach to testing for coronavirus, with only those at hospitals to be formally examined.
People from now on would be tested ‘irrespective of their travel history’ if they showed severe symptoms, he added.
The Medical Officer said: ‘We will pivot all the testing capacity to identify those in hospitals who have symptoms so we can pick them up early, make sure we treat them well and ensure they don’t pass on the virus to other people in hospitals.
‘So there will be a change in hospital and other testing systems.’
Pictured: PM Boris Johnson, who said families would ‘lose loved ones’ as COVID-19 spreads
Sir Patrick Vallance (left) and Chris Whitty (right) at Downing Street ahead of Cobra meeting