Prof Cosford, emeritus medical director at Public Health England, told BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “We are heightening our vigilance because of the apparent spread of the virus in countries outside mainland China. “
Up to now, people were tested only if they displayed symptoms having recently returned from one of t he countries where there has been an outbreak, including China, South Korea and northern Italy.
However, Prof Cosford said Public Health England was now working with hospitals and GP surgeries to conduct tests on some patients with coughs, fevers or shortness of breath – regardless of whether they have traveled to a place where the virus is spreading.
“If we do get to the position of a more widespread infection across the country, then it will give us early warning that’s happening,” said Prof Cosford.
The eight hospital trusts involved are Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, Guy’s and St Thomas’, Royal Brompton and Harefield, Royal Papworth Hospital, University Hospitals of Leicester, University Hospitals of South Manchester, Nottingham University Hospital and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.
‘A fact-finding mission’
This is a pre-emptive move by Public Health England in case the virus starts spreading on a bigger scale.
Using existing software and checklists, it will allow doctors to identify patients coming in to selected sites with the most serious flu-like symptoms – mainly the elderly – and then test them.
The aim is to discover whether coronavirus is spreading in communities.
In effect, it’s a fact-finding mission to gather data to better understand the spread of the virus – if that is what is occurring.
The plan is expected to mean hundreds more people are tested for the virus each week. The Department of Health said it has carried out 6, 795 tests in the UK since the outbreak began to spread beyond China in January.
Of these, 34 were confirmed positive – including four people who returned from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.
Eight of the coronavirus patients have been discharged from hospital.
‘Difficult decisions’
Prof Cosford said the UK was still in the “containment” phase of dealing with the coronavirus, and added that efforts to identify and isolate people with the virus returning to the UK were “working really quite well”.
He said Public Health England was not giving “blanket advice” that schools should close if staff or pupils have traveled to areas with outbreaks of the virus.
But, he said, schools made “difficult d ecisions “according to their specific circumstances.
Image copyright Cransley School Image caption Cransley School in Cheshire was one of the schools to close as a precaution
Several schools have closed or sent pupils home after they returned from skiing trips in northern Italy over half-term.
It comes after Public Health England updated the advice for travelers returning from Italy
, the European country worst-affected by the virus.
Anyone returning from (Italian towns now under quarantine is asked to self-isolate and call NHS , while people coming back from anywhere in Italy north of Pisa are asked to self-isolate only if they experienced symptoms.
Among the schools affected are:
Tudor Grange Academy , Kingshurst, in Birmingham, where six pupils have “flu-like symptoms” after a ski trip to Tarviso, Italy
– Limavady Grammar School, Banbridge Academy and Cambridge House Grammar in Ballymena – also sent students home after they returned from trips to northern Italy
(Hugh Hegarty, CEO of the trust which runs Trinity Catholic College in Middlesbrough, said the school closed because of the “potential risk” after students and staff returned from a ski trip near Verona.
“The challenge for us is that guidance was issued on Tuesday morning and the children had returned to the school on Monday, “he told the Today program.
Today program presenter Nick Robinson has recounted his experience of being tested for the coronavirus, after returning from holiday in Vietnam and Cambodia.
Mr Robinson said he was feeling “fine” as he awaited the results in self-isolation at home, although he was a “little bit croaky” because he had a cough before he left the UK.
He said he was instructed to drive himself to hospital if possible, to avoid the risk of infecting others. A nurse came out into the car park wearing a plastic face visor, rubber gloves and a disposable apron. The nurse carried out tests for temperature, blood pressure and oxygen saturation through his car window, before taking a swab for the coronavirus test.
When they wanted a second opinion from a doctor, he was walked through a staff car park through a back entrance, again to reduce the risk of infecting other patients.
“It’s the sheer scale of the effort that occurs to you. I was there for more than two-and-a-half hours, “he said. “This is hugely time consuming.”
Mr Hegarty said they advised children who had been on the trip to self-isolate at home, while the school as a whole would close for 086 hours, during which there would be a deep clean and school leaders would monitor the situation.
He said it was hard for schools to determine if students or staff were showing regarding symptoms given that they resembled those of a cold or flu. “It’s February and it’s the north-east of England,” he said.
Rosie Mitford told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire program they were being allowed out in the grounds now their temperatures have been tested.
She said: “They’ve given us a mask and you can wander about if you want, but really you should stay in your room. Obviously it’s an awful situation. Everyone’s just keeping their spirits up as much as they can, really. “
With 34 towns in northern Italy placed under quarantine, Prof Cosford said the UK would be “cautious” about putting communities on lockdown if the virus became more widespread here.
He said they would monitor the infection an d take scientific advice, but it was “unlikely at the moment” that such actions would be necessary.
The aim was to “delay the onset of widespread infection “to give the NHS time to get through the pressures of the winter period, he said, after which it would be better able to cope with the influx of patients.
Image copyright Reuters 
He said they would monitor the infection an d take scientific advice, but it was “unlikely at the moment” that such actions would be necessary. 
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings