This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

A British couple diagnosed with coronavirus on a cruise ship in Japan have praised the care they are receiving, saying they are “in the best place”.

David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, have been transferred to hospital from the Diamond Princess, which has been quarantined near Yokohama.

About 70 other Britons from the ship are due to fly back to the UK from Tokyo on Friday on a repatriation flight organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Only passengers with no symptoms of the virus will be on the plane.

Posting on Facebook alongside photos of the pair in their hospital beds, David Abel said: “We arrived in lovely hospital a couple of hours ago. Taken by ambulance blues & twos the entire journey.

“Outside the hospital I came over a bit weird and nearly passed out. Every pore on my body opened and I was wheelchaired to our room. Full health inspection and now we know what’s going on. We both contracted a cold (unaware of) and it has not yet turned into pneumonia. (we do have coronavirus).

Facebook Twitter Pinterest David Abel receiving treatment in hospital. Photograph: David Abel/PA

“Tomorrow the big tests commence. Chest x-rays, ECG, chest scan, urine + more. We are both in the best place! They do know what they are doing and our two nurses are gorgeous. Sally likes the Dr too.”

The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said information had been provided to those registered for the repatriation flight, but he urged other British nationals still seeking to leave Japan to contact the Foreign Office. “We will continue to support British nationals who wish to stay in Japan,” he said.

Those repatriated from the Diamond Princess will be quarantined at Arrowe Park hospital in Wirral for 14 days, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said.

There were 78 British passengers on the cruise liner when cases of Covid-19 started to emerge. Four British cases have since been confirmed by the Foreign Office.

Quick guide What are coronavirus symptoms and should I go to a doctor? Show Hide What is Covid-19? Covid-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a pandemic. What are the symptoms this coronavirus causes? According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may also have a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion and aches and pains or diarrhoea. Some people report losing their sense of taste and/or smell. About 80% of people who get Covid-19 experience a mild case – about as serious as a regular cold – and recover without needing any special treatment. About one in six people, the WHO says, become seriously ill. The elderly and people with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions, are at a greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19. In the UK, the National health Service (NHS) has identified the specific symptoms to look for as experiencing either: a high temperature - you feel hot to touch on your chest or back

a new continuous cough - this means you’ve started coughing repeatedly As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work, and there is currently no vaccine. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system. Should I go to the doctor if I have a cough? Medical advice varies around the world - with many countries imposing travel bans and lockdowns to try and prevent the spread of the virus. In many place people are being told to stay at home rather than visit a doctor of hospital in person. Check with your local authorities. In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.

Anyone who develops symptoms during the flight will be taken to hospital.

Meanwhile, the European commission has announced the EU will pay for the repatriation of citizens from any of the bloc’s countries still stuck on the Diamond Princess.

As of 2pm on Wednesday, 5,216 people in the UK had been tested for coronavirus, of whom nine had tested positive.

Reports on Wednesday from mainland China said there had been 2,004 deaths and 74,185 confirmed infections.

New cases have fallen to fewer than 2,000 a day for the past two days but officials and analysts say the threat of a more serious outbreak remains as people return to work after a prolonged lunar new year holiday.

While the overall spread of the virus has slowed, the situation remains severe in Hubei province, where the virus originated.