London Coronavirus Patient Took Uber To Hospital, Driver's Account Suspended

A glaring example of how the disease caused by the 2019-nCoV coronavirus, recently given the name COVID-19, is beginning to affect everyday life in other countries, is the woman in London who took an Uber ride to a hospital on Sunday and “self-presented” herself as a possible victim.

The woman, thought to be a Chinese nationalist who had recently traveled to London from China, was immediately given a face mask and transferred to the hospital’s special testing area.

On Wednesday the test came back positive setting off a chain of events. The woman was transferred from Lewisham Hospital to a National Health Specialist (NHS) center at Guys and St Thomas' Hospital. The driver’s Uber account was canceled and two staff members from Lewisham Hospital are now in isolation at home.

An Uber spokesperson said, "We received a request from Public Health England for information about a passenger who has now been confirmed as having coronavirus. Out of an abundance of caution, we temporarily suspended the account of the driver who transported the individual to the hospital, and we remain in close contact with Public Health England (PHE).”

The spokesperson continued, “We have a dedicated online portal for public health authorities to contact Uber for information about riders and drivers, and we will take action on any user accounts on the recommendation of those authorities."

Around 5,500 miles away, in Mexico, Uber reportedly has recently suspended more than 200 accounts of drivers who were possibly exposed to the virus.

PHE consultant Rachel Thorn said: "We are in contact with Uber to ensure the driver receives advice and information on what to do should they [the driver and his family] feel unwell in the coming days. As the journey was less than 15 minutes, the driver did not have close sustained contact with the individual and is not considered high risk."

Ben Travi, chief executive of Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, said all staff who encountered the patient were traced. Nine people are currently being treated for COVID-19.

The highly contagious COVID-19 is raising concerns for large cities with public rapid transit systems. Dr. Robin Thompson of Oxford University issued a warning about how the London Underground could become a hotbed for the illness. He said, "In general, if an initial case is in a densely populated area, then the risk of sustained person-to-person transmission following is higher. This is exacerbated by the fact that London is a transport hub, and the Underground could provide a network to spread the virus quickly…”

As of Friday, about 1,500 people were dead and 65,000 sickened, mostly in China, with 26 other nations reporting illnesses related to COVID-19, not yet classified as a pandemic.