Sad: Prince Charles Tests Positive for Coronavirus and Sets the Alarm Bells Ringing in England and Europe.
Background
The United Kingdom along with other countries of western Europe is in the grip of the 'China virus.' I have just read a news item that the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has telephoned the Indian foreign minister Dr. JaiShankar and requested him to convince the western world and USA not to refer to the virus as 'Wuhun Virus' or 'China virus'. Dr. Shankar promised to help out.
The reason for this is simple. Now that the virus has spread from China to western Europe and the USA the Chinese do not want to be stigmatized. So when Donald Trump goes around chirping about the 'China virus' the Chinese don't like it.
Semantics apart, the virus has spread from China and the Chinese are guilty of not having warned the countries in the West about the gravity of the situation. Countries like Italy and Spain were taken completely unawares and more than 13,000 people have died in these two countries. In the UK the death toll from this virus is touching almost 500.
We now have the sad news that the heir to the English throne. Prince Charles also known as the Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. Prince Charles is 71 and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall is 72. She has also been tested but does not have the virus.
Prince Charles and the Royal Family
After the news of the testing report came out, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla are now under self-isolation at Balmoral Castle. It is not known how and when the Prince contracted this virus. One really cannot blame him because nobody in Western Europe was aware that such a virus would come from China and it would infiltrate their entire lifestyle. The British prime minister Boris Johnson only started acting once many cases came to light in London.
Buckingham Palace has issued a statement that the Queen last saw her son who is also the heir to the throne on 12th March but at that time he was in good health. So obviously something happened after that. The Prince and his wife are now self-isolation at their home in Scotland.
It has been reported that the tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire. The results of the test came through on Tuesday night showing that he was positive. It is reported that the prince is still working and is up and about in good spirits.
A great danger is to the Queen who is 93 and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh who is 98. Given the advanced ages of the royal family greater care needs to be taken off the Queen and the Duke.
As per reports Prince Charles and Camilla have decided to follow the advice of the government and have isolated themselves separately. Both the Prince and his wife the Duchess are not alone and they are along with a small staff who is taking necessary precautionary measures. It is expected that the Prince of Wales and the Duchess will be in self-isolation now for a couple of weeks and will also be out of the public eye. The last public engagement of the prince was on 12th March. This was the same day he met his mother the Queen. This was during a dinner in aid of the Australian bushfire relief and recovery effort.
Last Word
Coronavirus has taken a firm foothold in the United Kingdom as on date 8077 confirmed cases have been reported. The sad part is that out of these 1427 are new cases. That means the virus is not abating. In addition, 422 deaths have taken place in the UK.
In such a scenario the opinion of the US President Donald Trump that everything would be okay by Easter has to be taken with a pinch of salt. The British and the Boris Johnson have no such illusions and many are wondering if the Prince can contract the coronavirus then anybody can be attacked in the UK.
The situation is much worse on the continent. Spain and Italy have been the worst affected. Sitting far away one cannot visualize the torment in the minds of the people there. Figures really have no meaning and though thousands have died the fact remains many citizens are apprehensive of the future.
