Photo: Health Protection Agency/AP
A 39-year-old man has died from a SARS-like disease, becoming the first British fatality from the illness.
The victim, the sixth person to die from novel coronavirus worldwide, was one of three people in the same family with the virus, which appeared to have been caught by his relative during a recent visit to the Middle East and Pakistan.
The family members are three of the four confirmed cases in Britain, and it is believed that the virus was passed on in the UK.
Novel coronavirus was first identified last year in the Middle East. Most of those infected have travelled to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Pakistan. Across the globe 12 people have been diagnosed, and half of those have lost their lives.
The man’s relative is currently being treated in Manchester and it has been established that he recently travelled to the Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Coronaviruses cause most common colds but can also cause SARS – severe acute respiratory syndrome. It is unclear how people are becoming infected.
A SARS epidemic killed more than 800 people when it swept out of China in 2003, sparking a major international health scare.
The Telegraph has the full article
