More than a dozen people in the UK have been tested for coronavirus, as the health secretary warned there is an “increased likelihood” of cases occurring.

Fourteen people were tested for the virus, with five confirmed negative and nine still awaiting results, Public Health England (PHE) said on Thursday night.

The Scottish government had earlier confirmed that five people were being examined after presenting with symptoms of the illness, while it was understood that another patient was being tested at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital.

PHE would not give a breakdown of where the people were tested and where the negative results were recorded.

Downing Street said four of the suspected cases in Scotland were believed to involve Chinese nationals.

Around the world, so far the disease has killed 26 people and infected more than 800. Cases have been reported in the US, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong.

However the World Health Organization’s emergency committee said on Thursday that it was “too early” to declare an international public health emergency over the outbreak.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the WHO, said: “Make no mistake. This is an emergency in China. But it has not yet become a global health emergency. It may yet become one.

“I wish to reiterate, the fact that I am not declaring a public health emergency of international concern today should not be taken as a sign that WHO does not think the situation is serious, or that we are not taking it seriously. Nothing could be further from the truth. WHO is following this outbreak every minute of every day.”

Referring to the Scottish cases, Prof Jürgen Haas, the head of infection medicine at the University of Edinburgh, said he believed there would be many more in other parts of the UK.

The Scottish patients all travelled from Wuhan, where the outbreak is thought to have originated, within the past two weeks and were showing symptoms of respiratory trouble – a red flag for the virus.

A Scottish government spokesman said: “Following travel to Wuhan, China, two people confirmed as diagnosed with influenza are now being tested for Wuhan novel coronavirus as a precautionary measure only. Three further people are also undergoing testing on a similar precautionary basis.”

Haas said there were “robust arrangements” in place to manage emerging diseases and they were monitoring the situation closely.

He said the cases emerged overnight, adding: “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 suspicion is that there will probably be many more cases in many other cities in the UK.”

Haas said there was only one laboratory testing for the virus, operated by Public Health England, and that the cases had been flagged up through the PHE infection guidelines as the patients had travelled to Wuhan within the last 14 days and were showing signs of respiratory symptoms.

Universities with links to China have issued warnings to staff and students travelling to and from areas affected by the coronavirus. Nine UK institutions have partnerships with Wuhan University in Hubei Province in central China, where the outbreak began.

Earlier in the day, the UK health secretary, Matt Hancock, told MPs there was an increased likelihood that the coronavirus would arrive in the UK, but said the authorities were well prepared and would remain vigilant.

Quick guide What are coronavirus symptoms and should I go to a doctor? Show Hide What is Covid-19? Covid-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a pandemic. What are the symptoms this coronavirus causes? According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may also have a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion and aches and pains or diarrhoea. Some people report losing their sense of taste and/or smell. About 80% of people who get Covid-19 experience a mild case – about as serious as a regular cold – and recover without needing any special treatment. About one in six people, the WHO says, become seriously ill. The elderly and people with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions, are at a greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19. In the UK, the National health Service (NHS) has identified the specific symptoms to look for as experiencing either: a high temperature - you feel hot to touch on your chest or back

a new continuous cough - this means you’ve started coughing repeatedly As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work, and there is currently no vaccine. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system. Should I go to the doctor if I have a cough? Medical advice varies around the world - with many countries imposing travel bans and lockdowns to try and prevent the spread of the virus. In many place people are being told to stay at home rather than visit a doctor of hospital in person. Check with your local authorities. In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.

Hancock told the Commons that the UK was one of a few countries to have developed a test for the latest coronavirus, so any suspected case could be diagnosed quickly. However, the symptoms do not develop for five to seven days, and sometimes even up to 14, meaning the virus can circulate undetected.

The UK has advised against all but essential travel to Wuhan, where all the deaths so far have occurred and which is now under lockdown by the Chinese authorities. While the UK has put in place measures to check passengers at Heathrow airport arriving from Wuhan, the Chinese government has stopped flights out of the city.

“The chief medical officer has revised the risk to the UK population from very low to low and concluded that while there is an increased likelihood that cases may arise in this country, we are well-prepared and well-equipped to deal with them,” Hancock told MPs.

Some people arriving on the last flight from Wuhan on Wednesday said they had not received any health checks at Heathrow, MPs pointed out. Handing out information was the key thing, Hancock replied. “The most important part of the monitoring is to ensure everybody knows what to do if the symptoms arise.”

Several MPs said there were substantial numbers of Chinese students at universities in their constituencies. There was no specific advice for students, other than the general advice, Hancock said.

“I’m very happy to take away the point that we will ensure we are communicating through Universities UK with all universities, to make sure the message gets to all students directly and they hear the advice that is there for everybody.”

The Labour MP Hilary Benn asked what advice would be given to the public about the use of face masks, which they would see being used in China and elsewhere on the television. “People look at what people are doing in countries where the disease has taken hold and ask the authorities, ‘Why aren’t we doing the same?’” said Benn.

Hancock replied: “The wearing of face masks is not deemed clinically necessary now, but we will keep that under review and will be guided by the science.”