People in London wear face masks amid the coronavirus outbreak (Picture: PA)

A case of the coronavirus has been recorded in London for the first time.

The person is a Chinese national who was diagnosed this afternoon.

She is believed to be on her way to hospital where she will receive medical attention.

Experts have previously warned that London is at greater risk than other cities in Europe due to its large population and admiration by tourists.


It is estimated that around 142,000 travel from China to the capital between January and March every year.

This will be the first case of the coronavirus recorded inside the capital (Picture: Rex Features)

The victim, a Chinese national, is on her way to hospital (Picture: Getty Images)

The new case in London means there are nine people in the UK infected with the coronavirus, while more than 1,750 have been tested.



Chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, said today: ‘One further patient in England has tested positive for novel coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of cases in the UK to nine.

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‘This virus was passed on in China and the patient has now been transferred to a specialist NHS centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ in London.’

An associate professor in mathematical epidemiology at the University of Warwick said there is not enough evidence to suggest the London patient could have infected anyone else.

Dr Michael Tildesley continued: ‘There always remains the risk of introduction of cases into the UK from international travellers and it is difficult to predict where future introductions may occur.

A GP surgery in Brighton was closed after a doctor was taken ill (Picture: PA)

People in Hazmat suits could be seen on the site (Picture: EPA)

‘So it’s not surprising that there is a case in London since it is the main UK hub for international travellers.

‘What needs to be done at this stage is to carry out contact tracing, in a similar way that has been done for other cases, in order to detect any contacts as rapidly as possible and if they show symptoms of the disease, follow the necessary protocols to minimise the risk of them causing further infections.’

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Most UK cases of coronavirus are being treated at London hospitals such as the Royal Free, in Camden, or Guy’s and St Thomas’, in Southwark.

Earlier today it was revealed that the so-called ‘super-spreader’, who infected 11 people with the virus, is no longer contagious.

Steve Walsh, 53, first caught the coronavirus during a conference in Singapore, but flew to France without showing any symptoms.

Police in protective gear wait to evacuate residents in Hong Kong (Picture: Reuters)

The outbreak started in Wuhan, China (Picture: Rex Features)

There, he is believed to have infected five Brits who he stayed with in a ski chalet, before returning to the UK, where he has been linked to another five cases of the virus.

Two of the cases in the UK included doctors, who one of whom worked at a Brighton GP surgery which has since been temporarily closed.

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Mr Walsh is also thought to be linked to one case of a male patient who was taken ill in Majorca.

NHS strategic incident director, Professor Keith Willettm said today that Mr Walsh had come up ‘negative’ during two tests for coronavirus, 24 hours apart.

He continued: ‘Mr Walsh has been discharged from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, having made a full recovery following his treatment.

A patient solves a rubik’s cube at a temporary hospital in Wuhan (Picture: Rex)

‘Mr Walsh’s symptoms were mild and he is no longer contagious and poses no risk to the public.’



This evening the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that they would be doing further investigations into the origins of the coronavirus, now named Covid-19.

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Director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom stated that there will be an examination of how the transmission of conditions from animals to humans can also be prevented.

The coronavirus is largely believed to have started on a seafood market in Wuhan, China.

So-far, more than 1,100 people have died from the virus, while more than 45,000 people have been infected worldwide.

What is the coronavirus and where did it start? Coronaviruses are a family of diseases which include the common cold and the virus which caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which originated in China in 2002 and killed nearly 800 people around the world. The virus causing concern now is a new strain which has made the jump from animals to people, named Covid-19. It causes fever and a cough and can make it hard for people to breathe, causing viral pneumonia in severe cases. Over 2,700 people worldwide have now died after contracting the illness. How does it affect the lungs? What are the symptoms of the virus? The virus is more likely to progress into a severe illness or prove fatal among older patients or those with weakened immune systems. As it is a viral illness, antibiotics will not help and there is no known cure or vaccine. A scan shows the lungs of a patient with coronavirus (Picture: Reuters) To avoid the illness, take usual hygiene precautions, such as using a tissue to cover coughs and sneezes, and making sure to wash your hands. Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth after touching things like poles on public transport and avoid close contact with people suffering an acute respiratory infection. You should also avoid unprotected contact with wild or farm animals. So far, 13 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the UK. Hundreds have been tested for it here, with most of the tests coming back negative. How many people in the UK have it? Is Coronavirus in the UK? Where is Wuhan in China, where coronavirus started? The virus originated in the city of Wuhan in China, where it is believed to have made the jump from animals to people at a seafood market. Wuhan is the capital of China’s Hubei province, a landlocked province in central China. It is built along the Yangtze river, and is around 500 miles west of Shanghai and 690 miles north of Hong Kong. It is the largest and most populous city in central China, although estimates over its population vary.

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