A Chinese woman has boasted how she took tablets to cheat airport scanners looking for symptoms of the coronavirus.

The woman said despite having a fever she managed to leave the city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak of the deadly virus, and make it to France, leaving the Chinese embassy there desperately trying to track her down.

The outbreak of the coronavirus has so far killed 41 people with 1287 more confirmed cases and has led to authorities placing the city of Wuhan under lockdown.

In Australia, one man in Victoria is confirmed to have contracted the deadly coronavirus, and two men in NSW are now likely victims of the outbreak as health authorities await the results of further testing.

Vietnam, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong all now have confirmed cases — alongside the US, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

The woman left Wuhan last year before flights were suspended, but when thermal scanning had been put in place, the BBC reports.

After arriving in France she posted pictures on WeChat social media platform of her eating at a Michelin star restaurant in the city of Lyon.

“Finally I can have a good meal, I feel like I’ve been starving for two days. When you are in a gourmet city of course you have to eat Michelin (food),” she wrote.

“Just before I left, I had a low fever and cough. I was scared to death and rushed to eat (fever-reducing) medicine. I kept on checking my temperature. Luckily I managed to get it down and my exit was smooth.”

The Chinese embassy in France says it has now managed to track her down and asked her to seek medical attention.

It said she had taken antipyretics, which work to reduce body temperature, and she no longer has a fever or cough.

IT COMES AS:

•The coronavirus death toll has climbed to 41 with more than 1287 confirmed cases

•China has placed a lockdown on the Hubei province, the centre of the outbreak

•The first Australian case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Victoria and another man is being held in isolation in a Melbourne hospital

•In NSW, six cases are under investigation, and two people are likely to have contracted the deadly virus

•Authorities are monitoring the virus with fears millions of people will travel for the Lunar New Year

•The World Health Organisation is yet to declare a global public health emergency

As well as Wuhan, the Chinese authorities have now moved to quarantine at least 13 other cities as they desperately try to contain the virus.

A 1000-bed prefabricated hospital dedicated to treating patients infected with coronavirus is also being hastily constructed, as existing ones struggle to cope with the numbers.

There are fears that it could accelerate further with millions travelling for Chinese New Year celebrations.

But the World Health Organisation last night refused to declare a global public health emergency, saying it was “too early”. However, officials admitted the committee was split almost 50-50.

At least eight hospitals in Wuhan issued public calls asking for donations of masks, googles, gowns and other protective medical gear.

Shocking images from Wuhan show residents lying lifeless on the ground in a city that had become dubbed “zombieland” by desperate locals.

Harrowing pictures on social media show people collapsed on the street and in hospital waiting rooms.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission

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