A fifth of the UK's population could be struck down with coronavirus, the UK's leading health expert has warned.

In a bid to control the spread of the virus, the government has introduced a battle plan which could see big events cancelled and soldiers on Britain's streets.

Anyone who has recently returned from one of the infected areas around the world and is displaying even mild symptoms is being urged to stay at home for 14 days.

Coronavirus can survive on many surfaces for between two and nine hours and the government is warning the number of cases will increase sharply over the next six weeks.

There are now 53 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK and Britain has also been told to brace itself for "some deaths".

(Image: Isopix/REX)

It is spread through viral droplets and people are being urged to wash their hands every time they cough or sneeze and after using public transport.

They are also being warned to avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth.

Coronavirus can survive for between two and nine hours on many surfaces.

And one leading scientist has gone one step further and urged people to stop kissing until the epidemic has passed.

Lord Robert Winston, a Labour peer and professor at Imperial College London, warned people to avoid social kissing for the immediate future.

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He explained: "It seems to me that simply not shaking hands is only part of the problem, social kissing seems, to me, something that we should not be doing.

"We have to realise that we should not be touching our nose, our mouth, our eyes."

His fears were backed by Tory peer Lord Bethell, who added: 'Kissing is wonderful but potentially dangerous."

On average, people touch their noses between 70 and 100 times a day without realising, something Britain's chief medical officer has warned against.

Professor Chris Whitty, Public Health England's chief medical officer, has warned that a huge epidemic is now "likely" and warned as many as 80 per cent of Brits could be struck down by coronavirus.

The NHS has declared a level four emergency over coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, and the UK's action plan warned that a fifth of workers could be absent at the height of the outbreak.

And Prof Whitty warned that the NHS will be put under enormous pressure as it battles to treat patients - but insisted that it would cope.

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Coronavirus is spread through viral droplets found in mucus and saliva and transported when people cough, sneeze, laugh, sing, talk and even breathe.

To get into our systems they have to enter via the nose, eyes or mouth and it is thought coughing and sneezing is the most common way for these droplets to be spread.