What is Novichok, how does it affect the body and symptoms of Novichok poisoning as Salisbury inquiry starts

• Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after being poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury in July 2018.
• An independent inquiry has opened into her death.
• Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were also poisoned by Novichok in Salisbury earlier the same year in March 2018. Yulia and Sergei survived the poisoning.

The public inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess, 44, who died after being poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury has opened.

Ms Sturgess, died in Salisbury hospital after coming into contact with the deadly substance which was in a perfume bottle, on July 8, 2018. Her partner Charlie Rowley had reportedly found the perfume in a charity collection bin, he also fell unwell but recovered in hospital.

The incident followed on from the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, in Salisbury in March 2018. The pair had been found unresponsive on a park bench, with it believed that they were poisoned by Russian agents after the nerve agent was smeared on Skripal’s front door handle.

A police officer, Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey was also poisoned with Novichok when he went to investigate the Skripal’s home.

Speaking about the inquiry on Friday (October 11), former Prime Minister (PM) Theresa May told the BBC that justice is, “highly unlikely to happen.” Baroness May, who was PM at the time of the poisonings added: “I would hope by the end of it the family and friends of Dawn Sturgess feel it has got to the truth. Closure to all the people affected would only finally come with justice, and that justice is highly unlikely to happen.”

So, what is Novichok, what does the nerve agent do and what are the symptoms of Novichok poisoning? Here’s everything you need to know.

What is Novichok?

Novichok is a group of nerve agents that attack the body’s nervous system and prevents chemical messages from being sent out. The nerve agent is thought to have been developed by the former Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s, with its name meaning, “newcomer”, in Russian. It can exist in liquid and solid form, meaning Novichok can also present as an ultra-fine powder.

What are the symptoms of Novichok poisoning?

Some of the symptoms that may appear as a result of Novichok poisoning according to GOV.UK can include:

• nausea and vomiting
• headache
• disordered mental state
• blurred/painful vision
• involuntary faecal incontinence

How does Novichok affect the body?

Novichok is a nerve agent that affects the body by attacking the body’s nervous system by blocking messages from the nerves to the muscles, causing bodily functions to fail.

The nerve agent is severely toxic, with anyone who survives a Novichok poisoning at risk of experiencing long-lasting neurological damage. Speaking in an interview with the Guardian about her recovery from Novichok poisoning, Yulia Skripal said: “After 20 days in a coma, I woke to the news that we had both been poisoned. I still find it hard to come to terms that both of us were attacked. We are so lucky to both have survived this attempted assassination.”

Adding: “Our recovery has been slow and extremely painful. The fact that a nerve agent was used to do this is shocking. I don’t want to describe the details, but the physical treatment was invasive, painful and depressing.”

Yulia and her father Sergei, who were poisoned in Salisbury in March 2018, will not be called to give evidence at the inquiry due to fears for their safety. It is believed the pair left the UK following the attack and now live in an undisclosed location abroad.

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