UK's coronavirus advisor self isolates after COVID-19 symptoms

A top advisor on the novel coronavirus to the Government of the United Kingdom said on Wednesday that he might have caught the disease. He has confirmed that he was in meetings with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other government officials before developing the symptoms.

London [UK], Mar 18 : A top advisor on the novel coronavirus to the Government of the United Kingdom said on Wednesday that he might have caught the disease. He has confirmed that he was in meetings with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other government officials before developing the symptoms.

Advisor Neil Ferguson is the head of the modelling program at Imperial College London's Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis. It was his team's research that prompted the UK government to impose more restrictive measures to slow the virus' spread, according to CNN.

Ferguson posted on Twitter that he may have been infected with the novel disease, "Sigh. Developed a slight dry but persistent cough yesterday and self-isolated even though I felt fine. Then developed high fever at 4 am today. There is a lot of COVID-19 in Westminster."

He met with Prime Minister Johnson, country's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance.

Central London is the hotspot of the novel coronavirus in the city of London. Earlier, UK Health Minister Nandine Dorries tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Till now, the UK has reported 1,960 cases and 72 deaths due to the deadly virus as per the data presented by the John Hopkins University.

( With inputs from ANI )