Coronavirus: Birmingham patient discharged from hospital

A patient who was Birmingham's first known case of coronavirus has been discharged from hospital.

The person, thought to have contracted the virus at a work event outside Birmingham, will continue to self-isolate at home, the city council said.

Meanwhile, two events due to be held at the city's NEC have been cancelled due to the virus.

It comes as the number of people in the UK diagnosed with the virus has reached 163.

Two people who had "household contact" with the Birmingham patient have tested negative and are both self-isolating.

Dr Justin Varney the council's director of public health, said the risk from the case in the city was "very low" as they were tested quickly and had mainly been outside the area.

Dr Varney added: "We're not expecting it to have posed a risk to anyone else in the city."

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The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair 2020, had been due to take place at the NEC from 11 to 14 March.

In a statement, organisers said it had been "actively monitoring and following advice" about the virus.

"The unique nature of The Big Bang Fair - an indoor, hands-on interactive event for tens of thousands of young people, their teachers and parents from across the UK - means that we feel this is the most appropriate decision to take at this time," it said.

While those behind Naidex, dedicated to the independent living and healthcare industries, said its 17-18 March event would be rescheduled as "many of our visitors are, or are on the frontline of supporting, the most vulnerable in society".

Two cases have also been confirmed in Staffordshire, although authorities there have not revealed how the virus was contracted.

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