25 September 2012
The London hospital treating a man struck down by an illness similar to Sars has been named as St Thomas’.
Experts at the Lambeth hospital, which specialises in respiratory illnesses, have put him in isolation and are treating him by oxygenating his blood outside his body.
The 49-year-old patient who was born in Qatar caught the illness in Saudi Arabia and travelled by air ambulance for treatment in the UK.
He is the second person confirmed with the coronavirus, which has been likened to the Sars virus that killed hundreds of people in 2002.
The first case was a 60-year-old man in Saudi Arabia who died in July. The two patients never met. The Health Protection Agency is also investigating a third possible case.
Specialists at St Thomas’ are using a procedure known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment.
All medical staff who come into contact with the patient are following strict infection prevention and control procedures and wearing masks and protective gloves.
It is believed he developed a severe chest infection and renal failure after visiting Saudi Arabia. He was admitted to an intensive care unit in Doha in September but when the illness worsened he was flown to a private hospital in London.
He was then transferred to St Thomas’ which specialises in treating respiratory infections and is currently being given intensive care in an isolation unit.
Officials are still determining what threat the new virus may pose.
A spokesman for Guy’s and St Thomas’ said: “The patient has been identified as having a new type of coronavirus and we are working closely with the Health Protection Agency and following their guidance.
“The patient, who has been isolated, is receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment, which delivers oxygen to the blood outside the body when the lungs are not able to. We are one of five designated specialist centres in the UK to offer this treatment.
“We are following strict infection prevention and control procedures to protect patients and staff.
“There is no evidence that the virus has been transmitted to any other patient or member of staff. However, staff involved in caring for this patient are being followed up by occupational health as a precaution.”
Professor John Watson, head of the respiratory diseases department at the HPA said there was no specific evidence of the virus spreading from person-to-person.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which includes ones that cause the common cold as well as ones that cause Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome).
There was a global outbreak of Sars in 2002 which killed around 800 people.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/healt...r-8175088.html