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Boarding schools in the UK which educate thousands of children from China have been urged to be alert to “signs of xenophobia” as global concerns about the coronavirus grow.
The Boarding Schools’ Association, which represents 550 independent and state boarding schools, urged its members to support pupils from affected areas who may be worried about friends and families.
What is the virus causing illness in Wuhan?
It is a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals, or possibly seafood. New and troubling viruses usually originate in animal hosts. Ebola and flu are examples.
What other coronaviruses have there been?
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers) are both caused by coronaviruses that came from animals.
What are the symptoms of the Wuhan coronavirus?
The virus causes pneumonia. Those who have fallen ill are reported to suffer coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. In severe cases there can be organ failure. As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work. If people are admitted to hospital, they may get support for their lungs and other organs as well as fluids. Recovery will depend on the strength of their immune system. Many of those who have died are known to have been already in poor health.
Is the virus being transmitted from one person to another?
Human to human transmission has been confirmed by China’s national health commission. As of 27 January, the Chinese authorities had acknowledged more than 2,700 cases and 56 deaths. In the past week, the number of confirmed infections has more than tripled and cases have been found in 13 provinces, as well as the municipalities of Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Tianjin. The virus has also been confirmed outside China, in Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam. There have not been any confirmed cases in the UK at present, with the 14 people tested for the virus all proving negative. The actual number to have contracted the virus could be far higher as people with mild symptoms may not have been detected. Modelling by WHO experts at Imperial College London suggests there could be as many as 100,000 cases, with uncertainty putting the margins between 30,000 and 200,000.
How worried are the experts?
There were fears that the coronavirus might spread more widely during the week-long lunar new year holidays, which start on 24 January, when millions of Chinese travel home to celebrate, but the festivities have largely been cancelled and Wuhan and other Chinese cities are in lockdown.
At what point should you go to the doctor if you have a cough, say?
Unless you have recently travelled to China or been in contact with someone infected with the virus, then you should treat any cough or cold symptoms as normal. The NHS advises that there is generally no need to visit a doctor for a cough unless it is persistent or you are having other symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing or you feel very unwell.
Should we panic?
No. The spread of the virus outside China is worrying but not an unexpected development. It increases the likelihood that the World Health Organization will declare the outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern on Thursday evening. The key concerns are how transmissible this new coronavirus is between people and what proportion become severely ill and end up in hospital.
Sarah Boseley Health editor and Hannah Devlin
And in new guidance published on its website, it warns: “Stay alert for any signs of xenophobia by students towards one another, or by any external audiences, either in school or on social media sites.
“Such behaviour should not be tolerated and action should be taken against anyone acting in this way.”
Media coverage of the coronavirus outbreak in the UK has noted the 120,000 Chinese students currently enrolled in UK universities, but the number of Chinese pupils at private schools in the UK has also grown in recent years.
According to the latest statistics published by the Independent Schools Council (ISC), an umbrella body that includes famous public schools such as Eton and Harrow as well as hundreds of smaller prep schools, there are almost 10,000 pupils from mainland China now studying at ISC schools.
Asked about xenophobia, the BSA said there had been no reports of incidents. “We have not heard of anything happening in our schools, and we don’t envisage it happening in our schools, we are trying to make sure we are covering every eventuality.”
The latest BSA guidance also advises member schools to warn families against travelling back to China and Hong Kong in the February half-term, suggesting schools could be kept open to accommodate pupils instead.
The World Health Organisation is recommending that people take simple precautions to reduce exposure to and transmission of the Wuhan coronavirus, for which there is no specific cure or vaccine.
The UN agency advises people to:
- Frequently wash their hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or warm water and soap
- Cover their mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when sneezing or coughing
- Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever or cough
- Seek early medical help if they have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, and share their travel history with healthcare providers
- Avoid direct, unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in contact with animals when visiting live markets in affected areas
- Avoid eating raw or undercooked animal products and exercise care when handling raw meat, milk or animal organs to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods
Despite a surge in sales of face masks in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak, experts are divided over whether they can prevent transmission and infection. There is some evidence to suggest that masks can help prevent hand-to-mouth transmissions, given the large number of times people touch their faces. The consensus appears to be that wearing a mask can limit – but not eliminate – the risks, provided they are used correctly.
It urges schools to draw up plans in case children need to be kept in quarantine following travel to affected areas. “This should not be seen as an over-reaction or ‘scare-mongering’,” the guidance states, “but is based on experience gained from the progress of previous such diseases.”
During the Sars outbreak of 2003, many schools were forced to quarantine pupils as they had already travelled home for Easter before the spread of the virus was identified.
The BSA said some schools had already cancelled visits from prospective parents, recruitment agents and pupils from China as a precautionary measure. “While cancellation may be unnecessary, it is obviously prudent to minimise any unnecessary risk.”
Boarding schools are also being urged to make sure that appropriate guardian arrangements are in place in case restricted travel arrangements leave pupils and parents separated.
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