John Snow student put in isolation in College after coronavirus tests

The student who fell ill and sparked fears of coronavirus at John Snow college last night has been relocated and put into "self-isolation" in College, The Durham Tab can reveal.

An email released to staff and students explained that the student felt unwell and called 111 last night, leading to two ambulances arriving at their college. This was due to the "current heightened sensitivity around the coronavirus."

Despite no confirmed cases of coronavirus at the university, the student has been instructed to follow advice from Public Health England with regard to self-isolation. To do so, they have been moved to a self-contained studio flat in College to make this "easier" for them.

The email said: "As many of you will now know, a student who lives in College was taken ill yesterday evening and they called 111. This was exactly the right thing to do. Given the current heightened sensitivity around the coronavirus, the NHS implemented their precautionary measures and sent two ambulances. One of these ambulances was a special response unit and included medics who were wearing appropriate protective clothing. We know that many of our students who live in College witnessed this.

"The student was taken to hospital for tests and discharged later back into College. They are now following the advice from Public Health England with regard to self-isolation. To make things easier for them, they have moved from the shared flat in which they lived to a self-contained studio room in College.

"There are currently no confirmed cases of Coronavirus at Durham University. College staff are providing constant welfare support for the student and the situation is being managed under the University’s incident response framework. The University is in close communication with Public Health England. College staff are also providing welfare support for the students who shared the flat."

A statement from the Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Claire O'Malley says: Professor Claire O’Malley, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global) said:

“The health and wellbeing of our students is our upmost priority and we are monitoring the Coronavirus situation closely.

“We are reminding our students to maintain good hand, respiratory and personal hygiene and to follow Public Health England advice.

“If you’re worried about yourself or a fellow student, please contact the dedicated support staff in your college."

Official government figures show that within the last 24 hours, 52 more people were tested for corona virus and none were positive.