As Covid-19 spreads globally, those who have to deal with the virus head-on — like doctors and nurses — arguably carry the most risk of catching it.
Besides healthcare workers, however, health ministers are also contracting the virus, which seems logical enough given that they’re part of the government ministry that is most responsible for fighting the disease.
Unfortunately, Ms Nadine Dorries, the United Kingdom’s junior health minister, confirmed on Wednesday (11 Mar) that she had tested positive for Covid-19, reported the BBC.
She is the first British member of Parliament to test positive for the coronvirus.
The Department of Health reported that Ms Dorries, 62, showed up at a 10 Downing Street event and interacted with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on 5 Mar, according to Bloomberg.
Ms Dorries also met “hundreds” of people in Parliament that week, including Mr Johnson. She fell ill on 6 Mar.
In a statement released by Department of Health and Social Care, she was quoted by the Guardian as saying:
I can confirm I have tested positive for coronavirus. As soon as I was informed I took all the advised precautions and have been self-isolating at home. Public Health England has started detailed contact tracing and the department and my parliamentary office are closely following their advice.
After tests confirmed that she had Covid-19, she took to Twitter to express her thanks for the good wishes she’d received and revealed that she should be “over the worst of it”.
Unfortunately, her elderly mother appears to have caught a cough, so there’s a chance she may have contracted the virus as well — pending tests to be carried out tomorrow (12 Mar).
Finally, she ended by reminding everyone to wash their hands — the same message the British government has been handing out so far.
Currently, contact tracing on those who Ms Dorries met is underway, and perhaps more cases will be tested. This includes all health ministers.
It is not known who infected Ms Dorries with the virus.
There’s a chance that because Ms Dorries had met many MPs and even the Prime Minister, more Parliamentarians may have caught Covid-19.
BBC reported that officials have not given word on whether the Prime Minister has been tested.
However, a Parliament spokesperson has said there are no plans to suspend future sessions, reported TV channel ITV.
Instead, they will be implementing measures including hanging up more posters encouraging people to wash their hands often and thoroughly. We do hope the MPs were already doing so before the posters went up.
The UK had a total of 382 Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, and 6 people have died so far.
We wish Ms Dorries and her mother get well soon, and no more officials will be infected.
Featured image adapted from YouTube.
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