A Barcelona health worker had her car sprayed with the words "contagious rat" amid rising accounts of abuse during the coronavirus epidemic.

While millions of Spaniards join in the daily applause for medical staff at 8pm, unions have asked for professionals to be given extra protection as some neighbours and landlords seek to encourage them to leave their homes for fear of spreading the disease.

Silvana Bonino, the gynaecologist from Barcelona, reported the vandalising of her car to the police.

“At first, I couldn’t believe it; it made no sense. I felt surprised and sad to receive this attack,” she told the EFE news agency.