Man 'who had coronavirus' says he is isolated in Wuhan

A Welsh teacher who believes he might have had coronavirus does not know when he will be able to leave Wuhan.

Jamie Morris, 23, from New Tredegar, Caerphilly county, said he developed symptoms similar to the virus in November, before the outbreak became public knowledge.

The UK government has urged any UK citizens in mainland China to leave.

Mr Morris said he was stuck in Wuhan as his passport was with the Chinese government for a visa.

"I am currently on my own in my apartment, isolated from the outside world," said Mr Morris.

"At this point, I am willing to go to any other country, but it's all down to the UK embassy."

He said the Foreign Office's crisis team in London "just tell me to be patient and they will be in touch if anything changes".

Mr Morris said his girlfriend, Camilla, 24, had been able to leave, as she was a Samoan national, and was now in New Zealand.

UK authorities have so far overseen two evacuation flights of UK nationals from China.

There have been more than 20,000 confirmed cases of the virus in China and more than 300 people have died there.

The teacher, who has lived in the city for a year, said he was diagnosed with having potential pneumonia.

The virus can cause severe acute respiratory infection and symptoms seem to start with a fever, followed by a dry cough.

"I had all the symptoms, literally everything that has been said by the government, however it was before the virus was made public knowledge," he said.

He said he was concerned about access to food and was living on instant noodles and frozen meals, after the local shops ran out of fresh fruit and vegetables.

He is the second Welsh man living in China thought to have contracted coronavirus.

Connor Reed, 25, from Llandudno, Conwy county, said he contracted the virus in December but initially thought it was a cold.

The manager at a school, who has been living in Wuhan for seven months, said the virus went through three stages, starting as a cold, then flu and then developing into pneumonia.

Mr Reed said and had kept in touch with his sister and mother in Llandudno while stuck in his apartment under lockdown, and his dad in Anglesey had been inundated with messages.