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Patient dies from Sars-like virus

One of three family members struck down by a Sars-like virus has died in hospital, health protection officials have said. The unnamed man, part of a "cluster" of three novel coronavirus cases linked to the same family, died at the weekend.

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Investigation into Sars-like novel coronavirus infection

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is continuing its investigation into the Sars-like novel coronavirus infection after three members of the same family tested positive for the condition in the UK.

Since September last year, when an earlier case of the condition was diagnosed in the UK, 12 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus have been reported globally - killing six people.

The routes of transmission to humans of the novel coronavirus have not yet been fully determined, but the recent UK experience provides strong evidence of human-to-human transmission in at least some circumstances.

The three recent cases in the UK represent an important opportunity to obtain more information about the characteristics of this infection in humans and risk factors for its acquisition, particularly in the light of the first ever recorded instance of apparently lower severity of illness in one of the cases.

The risk of infection in contacts in most circumstances is still considered to be low and the risk associated with novel coronavirus to the general UK population remains very low. The HPA will continue to work closely with national and international health authorities and will share any further advice with health professionals and the public if and when more information becomes available.

– Professor John Watson, head of the respiratory diseases department at the Health Protection Agency (HPA)
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Patient dies from Sars-like virus

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