Coronavirus ‘super spreader’ no longer contagious as he’s discharged from hospital

12 February 2020, 13:56

A man at the centre of a UK outbreak of coronavirus has been discharged from hospital and is no longer contagious.

NHS strategic incident director Professor Keith Willett delivered the update about scout leader and businessman Steve Walsh, 53, who infected 11 other Brits.

He said today: “I’m happy to be home and feeling well.

"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 and I would ask you please to respect our privacy from this point on”.

Professor Keith Willett, NHS strategic incident director, said: “I’m pleased to say that - following two negative tests for coronavirus, twenty-four hours apart - Mr Walsh has been discharged from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, having made a full recovery following his treatment.

“Mr Walsh’s symptoms were mild and he 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.

“I would like to thank the clinical team who treated Mr Walsh in hospital, as well as all the NHS staff who are working hard with other health organisations to limit the spread of coronavirus and treat the small numbers who have contracted the illness.

“Anyone with any health concerns should contact NHS 111.”

The 53-year-old scout leader, from Hove in East Sussex, contracted the virus on a business trip to Singapore and is linked to five other people diagnosed with the virus in the UK.

On his way back to the UK from Singapore, he stopped off at a ski region in France, where five other Britons were subsequently infected with the virus, now also known as Covid-19.

All NHS services in Brighton and Hove are running today, it has been confirmed.

Two GP practices had been closed on Tuesday for cleaning over Covid-19 fears, but are now open with some disruption to appointments.

A spokesman for NHS Brighton and Hove CCG added: "All other NHS services in Brighton and Hove are open as usual and measures are in place to ensure the safety of all patients and NHS staff while also ensuring services are available to the public as normal.

"Following the announcement last week that one of the confirmed 2019 Novel Coronavirus cases in the UK is from the Brighton and Hove area, Public Health England is carrying out a thorough risk assessment to trace this individual's movements in the last fortnight."

Elsewhere, thirty-nine more people on a quarantined cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus/

There are now 169 confirmed cases on the Diamond Princess, quarantined in the port of Yokohama, near Tokyo, among its 3,711 passengers and crew.

The death toll in mainland China where the virus is thought to have originated has passed 1,000 people.