Seven in 10 patients admitted to intensive care units in the UK with coronavirus were overweight or obese, the first data on Britain's cases shows.

The research - which examined in detail the first 196 patients to receive critical care for the virus - showed the average age of those requiring such care was 63, and seven in 10 cases were male.

Current UK health policies to prevent the spread and impact of coronavirus have focused in particular on people over the age of 70, especially those who are frail, and those with underlying health conditions.

International research has suggested these groups will see the highest death rates - of up to 15 per cent in the over-80s.

However, the national audit suggested many cases so far in the UK involved those who were younger, living independently, and without serious health conditions - other than excess weight. See the breakdown below.