The heir to the British royal throne was likely to have been infected on March 12, doctors assume. He has been in touch with the Queen since then.
The British royal family just announced that Prince Charles, 71, has tested positive for coronavirus. The prince, who is first in line for the throne, and the future king, has experienced only mild symptoms and remains in "good health," Clarence House said.
In their statement, the family said that the prince "has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual." He and his wife, Camilla, 72, who tested negative for COVID-19, have self-isolated at their home in Birkhall at Balmoral, Scotland, according to the SUN. They added, "In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing," the statement said.
It is possible that the prince tested positive on Monday night and six members of his staff are also going under home quarantine.
Both Prince Charles and Camilla are self isolating. They are currently at their home Burnham on the Balmoral Estate in Scotland
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) March 25, 2020
"It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks," the Clarence House added.
Charles had met Prince Albert of Monaco earlier in March and the other prince was later found to be positive for coronavirus. The 62-year-old ruler of Monaco tested positive only nine days after attending the WaterAid event in London with Charles.
Doctors say their most conservative estimate is that Prince Charles was contagious from around 12 March.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 25, 2020
Read the latest on Prince Charles's #coronavirus diagnosis: https://t.co/Ck55k1awIF pic.twitter.com/cIRAwUvw4X
The Buckingham Palace informed that the Queen is in good health and saw her son on March 12 last.
Statement regarding Prince Charles, who has tested positive for Coronavirus. @SBSNews pic.twitter.com/QQYRHUMSy7
— Ben Lewis (@benlewismedia) March 25, 2020
A statement from the Queen says she "remains in good health" and last saw Prince Charles "briefly on the 12th March".
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 25, 2020
Read the latest on Prince Charles's #COVID19 diagnosis: https://t.co/Ck55k1awIF pic.twitter.com/uSovVUaSrz
Meanwhile, health professionals in the UK have critiqued the government's readiness for the upcoming difficult period. Speaking to Good Morning Britain, a nurse called Lorraine shared the information that she was asked to share masks and filters with colleagues as the hospital she works at doesn't have enough, according to the Guardian. She said that the next few days will be a "war zone" as the "tsunami" of the pandemic hits.
Prince Charles has contracted coronavirus https://t.co/1BunFkoFVo pic.twitter.com/e12utyXV58
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) March 25, 2020
The UK is also under lockdown and only the essential services like supermarkets, pharmacies, etc., will be permitted to remain open. Every area in the UK has been affected while London faces the biggest challenge, according to the Telegraph. People have been warned to avoid "non-essential contact" and non-essential travel and millions have been asked to work from home.
So far, 16,362 people have died across the world from the virus, according to the World Health Organisation. There are 375,498 confirmed cases in 196 countries, as on March 25, 2020.
References:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11216131/prince-charles-positive-coronavirus/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/03/25/coronavirus-uk-map-united-kingdom-cases-covid-19/
