Boy, 8, becomes Australia’s youngest case of the new coronavirus as Qld Health Minister prepares to expand testing

Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles prepares to expand testing for the novel coronavirus as boy, 8, becomes the state’s third case and Australia’s youngest.

AN eight-year-old boy confirmed as having the new coronavirus in Queensland is the youngest person so far to be diagnosed with the illness in Australia.

News of Australia’s 13th case and Queensland’s third comes as the state’s Health Minister Steven Miles prepares to announce measures to expand access to testing for the virus, particularly in rural and regional areas.

The boy, a Chinese tourist, remains in isolation in the Gold Coast University Hospital. His condition is described as stable.

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Coronavirus disease – people with masks in cars on the Gold Coast, where three Chinese tourists have tested positive.

He’s one of about 400 people who have been tested in Queensland for the novel virus, which began in his home town of Wuhan, in China’s central Hubei Province.

Two other people, who were part of the same nine-member Chinese tour group the boy was travelling in, tested positive to the Wuhan coronavirus last week.

Mr Miles will announce plans today for Queensland Health to partner with private pathology collection sites across the state to take samples from travellers who have been in China or anyone who may have come in contact with a confirmed coronavirus case.

He said Mater Pathology, QML Pathology and Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology were all equipped to collect samples, allowing general practitioners to either take swabs themselves or refer patients to a private laboratory.

All samples will then be sent to Brisbane for testing at Queensland Health’s Forensic and Scientific Services laboratory.

“This means most towns and suburbs in Queensland have somewhere that can take a sample to test for coronavirus,” Mr Miles said. “It makes sure that specimen collection is accessible.

“It also means that if the virus does begin to spread more widely in Queensland, or if our health officials decide to expand the cohort to be tested, we will have the collection capability.”

The partnership with private pathology providers takes into account concerns among some general practitioners about the extra expense of collecting samples from people suspected as having the novel virus, given the need to use personal protective equipment.

The test is only effective once a patient has symptoms.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young advises anyone who has been in China in the past 14 days, and feels unwell, to immediately see a doctor. They should phone ahead to allow the general practice or hospital emergency department to take precautionary measures to protect staff and other patients.

The novel virus has killed more than 400 people and infected more than 20,000 since it was discovered in Wuhan in December. Most of the cases so far have been in mainland China.

For more information, call 13 HEALTH.