Dr. Marc Siegel on the coronavirus containment efforts
First American dies from the coronavirus outbreak; reaction and analysis from Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel.
A British man who unwittingly spread the deadly coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, to at least 11 people across three countries has been released from the hospital.
Steve Walsh contracted the virus while on a business trip to Singapore in late January. He then went to a ski resort in the French Alps, where he unknowingly spread the virus to at least 11 others. At least five Britons who stayed at the resort – including a 9-year-old boy – were infected, as were five people in France. He was also connected to at least one case in Spain.
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“I’m happy to be home and feeling well,” he said in a statement, according to Yahoo. “I want to give a big thank you to the NHS who have been great throughout and my thoughts are with everyone around the world who continues to be affected by the virus.”
“It’s good to be back with my family,” he added.
Walsh earlier this week made headlines when he came forward for the first time since being identified as the so-called “super-spreader.”
“Whilst I have fully recovered, my thoughts are with others who have contracted coronavirus,” he said at the time.
“I’m pleased to say that – following two negative tests for coronavirus, 24 hours apart – Mr. Walsh has been discharged from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, having made a full recovery following his treatment,” Professor Keith Willett, the NHS strategic incident director, said in a statement, according to the outlet.
Willett confirmed that Walsh is “no longer contagious, and poses no risk to the public.”
“He is keen to return to his normal life and spend time with his family out of the media spotlight.”
The news comes after government officials in the U.K. on Monday declared the coronavirus outbreak a “serious and imminent threat to public health.” To date, the country has reported eight cases of the novel virus.
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“In light of the recent public health emergency from the novel Coronavirus originating from Wuhan, Secretary of State has made regulations to ensure that the public are protected as far as possible from the transmission of the virus,” the government said in a statement, adding Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, and Kents Hill Park in Milton Keynes, are “isolation facilities.”