Coronavirus in UK

The UK today confirmed its first coronavirus death in 'a woman in her 70s with underlying health conditions', as the number of cases doubled in two days to 116 and health chiefs revealed patients with mild symptoms will be asked to stay at home instead of being treated in hospital. 

 

The patient, understood to be a 75-year-old woman, tested positive for the killer infection last night at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading before succumbing to the illness today. Elderly patients are known to be at higher risk of suffering deadly complications because of their weaker immune systems.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson offered his sympathies to the patient's family, saying: 'Our sympathies are very much with the victim and their family.' England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said he was 'very sorry' to report the news and offered his 'sincere condolences' to the family

Health chiefs fear the patient, who had previously 'been in and out of hospital', caught the virus in the UK because they had not recently travelled abroad – eight of the 29 cases confirmed today were patients who got infected on British soil. Only 51 patients were known to have the infection two days ago

Forty-five patients have already been told to self-isolate at home instead of getting hospital treatment because they have minor flu-like symptoms, amid mounting fears overwhelmed NHS hospitals won't be able to cope with an inevitable outbreak.