People returning to the UK from quarantine zones in northern Italy should immediately self-isolate to stop the spread of coronavirus, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said.

The British government updated its guidance on Tuesday morning and suggests anyone returning from the region north of Pisa should avoid contact with others if they start to show flu-like symptoms.

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.

Those entering the UK from areas quarantined by the Italian authorities – 10 small towns in Lombardy and one in Veneto – should follow the guidance, even if they do not have symptoms.

The health secretary said the government advice was in accordance with warnings from the World Health Organization that Covid-19 could become a pandemic.

“At present we don’t think there are any Brits in the area that’s been quarantined by the Italian government,” Hancock told Sky News. “But of course the government doesn’t track where people move around Europe, so if people are in that area they should get in contact and we will do what we can to help.”

The worsening situation in northern Italy was described as “very worrying” by Hancock, who said it was a significant outbreak with more than 200 people affected, including those who had died.

He said Britain was expecting cases of the illness and had been preparing. He will update the cabinet on Tuesday and hold a meeting with the Cobra emergency committee on Wednesday.

The Italian government has allowed regions to implement civil protection measures to stem the outbreak. In Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Piemonte and Emilia Romagna, it has ordered a seven-day suspension of public and private events, schools and higher education facilities, as well as museums and cultural institutions.

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Hancock said: “There is a good chance that we contain this at [the virus] sort of level, where the number of cases … is relatively low. The numbers of cases in China are coming down and we think that direction of travel is credible.

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“But the problem is there are outbreaks elsewhere, like in Italy, Iran and South Korea, and so we are preparing in case this becomes a pandemic. But we are confident there’s a good chance of avoiding that, but we are taking a belt and braces approach.”

A total of 6,536 people have been tested in the UK, of which 6,527 were confirmed negative and nine positive. There are also four confirmed cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship who arrived in the UK from Japan.

About 80% of people with coronavirus experience only mild symptoms, and children do not seem to be affected, except in a small number of cases, according to the health secretary.

China has reported 77,658 cases and 2,663 deaths. Reports from Seoul in South Korea say 893 have been infected. Italy has 229 cases and seven deaths.

The shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, told Sky News: “We are all worried. We shouldn’t panic but this is extremely serious. It’s not yet a pandemic … but clearly it is hugely serious and we have to be alert, we have to act.

“I’m not going to criticise or throw stones at the government. Broadly they’ve taken the correct approach. We know the amount of pressure our NHS is under at the moment – intense strain after years of cuts. If this hits us very badly, there are questions about whether our NHS has the resources to cope.”