Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
16 May 2013 09:39
Novel coronavirus can be passed from human to human (AP)
A new infectious disease which has killed 18 people worldwide can be transmitted from human to human but experts in the UK are urging people not to panic.
Novel coronavirus, which has been linked to the Middle East, has been compared to Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and has claimed the lives of two people in the UK. The World Health Organisation announced the virus can be passed between humans after a French man who had shared a hospital room with an infected patient then also developed the illness.
Health experts have downplayed the effectiveness of the virus in spreading itself but have warned people to be vigilant against severe, unexplained respiratory illness, particularly if they are in the Middle East or recently visited the region. Emergency assistance via medical travel insurance can be valuable for travellers in this situation.
Professor Peter Openshaw, director of the centre for respiratory infection at Imperial College London, said: "We are right to be concerned about the reporting of transmission from person to person, but there is absolutely no reason to panic. Human-to-human transmission has now been documented but this is not a great surprise and the virus seems relatively hard to transmit. The 'super-spreading' events, in which one person infects several dozen people at a time (as was seen with Sars coronavirus), do not seem to be happening with this coronavirus."
20 July 2017
A report has criticised survival rates in the UK for a number of cancers.
[more...]
19 July 2017
A leading expert in health inequality has called for 'urgent investigation' after increases in life expectancy stalled in recent years.
18 July 2017
People following a so-called Mediterranean diet rich in oily fish, fresh vegetables and nuts have a lower risk of suffering dementia.
15 July 2017
If you often put in extra hours at work you may want to think again.
14 July 2017
Researchers have highlighted a link between tall men and aggressive cases of prostate cancer.
13 July 2017
More than three-quarters of long-term carers feel stressed by their role, according to a new report.
12 July 2017
Want to live a longer life? Try drinking more coffee - so say researchers.
11 July 2017
More people are diagnosed with cancer than those who are getting married each year, new research suggests.
08 July 2017
Heading off on holiday this summer? Don't forget your sunnies.
07 July 2017
Startling new figures have underlined the dementia challenge facing the country.
06 July 2017
When it comes to embarking on a new life or buying a holiday home in the sun, Spain is king among Brits.
05 July 2017
Scientists have made a major breakthrough in cancer treatment.