HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

The UK is to donate £20 million to help find a vaccine in the fight against the deadly Coronavirus, which has now infected over 18,000 and taken the lives of 362 people.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the funding would help the UK to spearhead the development of a new vaccine to halt the spread of the virus, which has now been declared a global health crisis by the World Health Organisation.

The aid will go to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), an organisation that aims to fast-track the development of a vaccine within six to eight months.

The news comes as 94 people remain in quarantine at the Arrowe Park hospital on the Wirral after being evacuated from Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus. It is believed that the patients will need to spend at least another two weeks at the hospital before they can be given the all clear.

Meanwhile, Spain’s Ministry of Health confirmed the country’s first case of Coronavirus on Friday after a man was diagnosed on the island of La Gomera in the Canaries.

It is believed that the man was with four others and had come into contact with a German tourist who had been diagnosed with the virus after meeting with a Chinese businesswoman in Germany prior to travelling to La Gomera.

The patient is currently said to be in good spirits with other members of the group also under medical supervision.

The country's health ministry recently published frequently asked questions on the Coronavirus and how you can help to avoid it here.

Chinese scientists have now revealed fresh evidence that the latest strain of Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) originated in bats with the genome of the virus thought to be closely related to a form previously seen in the mammals.

Hackers look to exploit Coronavirus fears

Experts from Proofpoint, a cyber security firm, have reported that hackers are now leveraging people’s fears about the Coronavirus and using their vulnerability to distribute malware on a massive scale.

Proofpoint believes that cyber criminals are registering Coronavirus-themed web addresses in order to create websites to launch their malware attacks.

When a user clicks a link or opens an attachment, their computer is infected with the Emotet malware virus which has the capabilities to extract a users personal login information used to access banks and other sensitive web sites. The malware will also infect the machine meaning that it can be used as to launch further attacks on other web users.

The company said, “All of this activity serves as a reminder to exercise caution regarding emails and websites related to current events, particularly ones that appear to ask you to take urgent action surrounding the Coronavirus. Be sure to only visit verified, trusted websites.”