Tests are being carried out on four people in Scotland, Northern Britain, for suspected cases of the Coronavirus which originates from the Wuhan province of China.

The head of infection medicine at the University of Edinburgh, Professor Jurgen Haas, confirmed that three of the cases are in Edinburgh whilst the fourth is believed to be in Glasgow.

All four had travelled to Wuhan and exhibited signs of respiratory problems, though the virus has not yet been confirmed in any of the patients.

These suspected cases are unlikely to be isolated, with Professor Haas saying that there may be more cases cropping up in cities across the UK, particularly in university towns which have a Chinese student population.

Professor Haas told the Press Association: “The situation will be pretty similar in pretty much all UK cities with a large number of Chinese students.

“It’s not too surprising. My suspicious is that there will probably be many more cases in many other cities in the UK.

“None of the cases I know of have been confirmed.”

Coronavirus: UK Steps Up Security to Protect ‘Porous Borders’ As China Quarantines Wuhan https://t.co/x9Vev4Buxn — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) January 23, 2020

So far, 17 people have died of the virus — all in China, where there are nearly 600 reported cases — whilst there are also reported cases in the United States, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Macao, and Hong Kong.

Breitbart London reported on Thursday that the UK had increased its health security measures at airports to prevent a possible outbreak. The Chinese authorities have quarantined the Wuhan region, suspending national and international travel services.