
The scramble to evacuate coronavirus ground zero is tearing families apart including one British man who says he is being forced to leave his Chinese wife behind and a mother who may have to abandon her three-year-old son.

Britons are due to be evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan tomorrow and will be quarantined for two weeks in a UK military base - as the global death toll from the coronavirus outbreak hits 133 and the disease continues to spread across the globe.

So far more than 6,000 infections have been recorded in 20 countries, with cases tripling since Sunday and China warning the epidemic will continue to get worse and peak 'in the next 10 days'.

British teacher Jeff Siddle, from Northumberland, is among those due to be evacuated from Wuhan with his nine-year-old daughter Jasmine- but Beijing is barring his Chinese wife Sindy from boarding the rescue flight.

Mr Siddle, 54, and his family flew to Hubei province to spend time with his partner's family and celebrate the Chinese New Year- before warnings were in place about the deadly coronavirus epidemic.

Mr Siddle said today: 'My wife's a Chinese citizen, although she's got a permanent residency visa for the UK as a spouse. But what the Foreign Office is saying is they are going to be doing an airlift, possibly tomorrow, but it's only [for] British citizens. Chinese authorities are not allowing any Chinese residents to leave.'

'I was put in the position to make a decision to either leave my wife here in China, or the three of us stay here (in Wuhan). We have to basically have a nine-year-old child separated from their mother. Who knows how long that is going to be for?'

Mother Natalie Francis, 31, who is working as an English teacher in Wuhan, was told today she can't bring her three-year-old son, Jamie, home with her because he owns a Chinese passport, despite being a British citizen.

She said: 'This morning I got a call at 10am it was a gentleman in London’s foreign office saying while I could come back and there is a place for me there is nothing they could do for my son. It's not looking like I am going to be on that plane because I only want to leave to save my so. If I am not able to save my son I’m not going to leave.'

The Foreign Office says it is trying to get permission from Beijing to evacuate Mrs Siddle and little Jamie but so far the Chinese are putting their foot down and the families has been told not to hold out hope.

Other expats stranded in Wuhan and the wider Hubei province - including PE teacher Kharn Lambert and Malcolm Lanyon - have chosen to stay in the region. Mr Lambert said he had given up his seat on the rescue flight because he does not want 'to come home and put everybody's health at risk', while Mr Lanyon refused to leave his Chinese wife behind.

British citizens in Wuhan also face a struggle to even make it to their evacuation flight with the city of Wuhan on lockdown and public transport is banned. Mr Lanyon claims he couldn't get to the airport even if he wanted to because no buses, taxis or trains are running.

In other developments in the Wuhan coronavirus crisis:

Some 133 people have now died across China and more than 6,000 around the world have caught the highly infectious virus

Cases of coronavirus have tripled since Sunday and jumped 30 per cent in the last 24 hours - now infecting people in 20 different countries

Outbreak in mainland China is now bigger than the 2003 SARS epidemic, when 5,327 cases of the killer virus were confirmed

Around 200 British nationals stuck in coronavirus-hit Wuhan are gearing up to be flown back to London on Thursday via chartered plane in a landmark evacuation mission

Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who is orchestrating the rescue, said evacuees will be held in quarantine in a military base for two weeks to stop the virus spreading on home soil

British Airways has cancelled all flights to and from mainland China until March, causing travel chaos for hundreds of passengers now trapped in China

US evacuation flight that took off from Wuhan yesterday is on its way to a military base in Ontario, California, where its 200-plus passengers will be kept in quarantine for 'at least 72 hours'

Health officials in Beijing fear the epidemic will continue to get worse and peak 'in the next 10 days'

Sudan reported two suspected cases of the killer SARS-like infection in two citizens who returned from China, stoking fears it could devastate Africa

Confirmed infections in the United Arab Emirates mark the first time the virus has spread to the Middle East

Four people in Germany who contracted coronavirus after a colleague from China visited their workplace only had 'very mild' symptoms

Jeff Siddle, his wife Sindy and their nine-year-old daughter Jasmine will be torn apart because Beijing won't allow his Chinese wife on tomorrow's British evacuation flight

Mother Natalie Francis, 31, who is working as an English teacher in Wuhan, was told today she can't bring her three-year-old son, Jamie, home with her because he owns a Chinese passport, despite being a British citizen

The couple and their daughter chose to fly to the Hubei province – before it had been crippled by the coronavirus epidemic – to spend time with his partner's family and celebrate the Chinese New Year

The British teacher revealed his heartbreak in a Facebook post last night (left), in which he detailed how his wife and daughter (right) would be separated for an indefinite time

World Health Organisation figures show just 2,014 patients had been struck down with the SARS-like infection by Sunday, January 26. This has now risen dramatically to 6,168, with cases in the US, Australia and Canada. As well as a dramatic increase in cases of the never-before-seen virus, figures also show the number of deaths have spiralled

The killer coronavirus outbreak has now killed 133 people and struck down more than 6,000 in 20 different countries. Cases have been spotted in Canada, US, France and Australia

A pilot wearing a protective suit parks a cargo plane at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province

A Boeing 747 arrives at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska after rescuing Americans from Wuhan yesterday

Wuhan residents wear facemasks as they wait for medical attention at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital to prevent the spread of the deadly virus which began in the city

British PE teacher Kharn Lambert is choosing to stay in the outbreak's epicentre Wuhan to 'give up his seat to others'. He revealed the Foreign Office told him Brits would have to make their own way home once they arrive back in London

WHICH COUNTRIES HAVE ALREADY EVACUATED THEIR RESIDENTS FROM WUHAN? The US The US launched an emergency mission to repatriate 240 citizens yesterday, with a flight out of Wuhan Tianhe International Airport. On board the flight, which left before dawn local time, was diplomats from the US Consulate as well as other American citizens. One British dual national also boarded the flight. It is unclear whether any medics were on board to monitor passengers for signs of infection. It made a refuelling stop in Alaska and was due to fly on to Ontario, California – but it has since been diverted to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California, where it is expected to land in the next few hours. Passengers were screened before initially boarding in Wuhan, and then went through follow-up checks at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska. The will be screened again once they arrive in California. It is thought they will be quarantined for at least 72 hours. The Chinese partners of US citizens were banned from the rescue flight, reportedly at the demand of Beijing. Japan Japanese officials also chartered a flight from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport to rescue 206 citizens stuck in the coronavirus-hit city. The plane landed back at Haneda Airport in Tokyo this morning at around 9am local time after flying to Wuhan overnight. The flight was carrying emergency relief supplies including 15,000 masks, 50,000 pairs of gloves and 8,000 protective glasses for medics in Wuhan. Around four medical officials were also on board to monitor returning passengers. Officials confirmed passengers would be tested for the coronavirus strain. Japan Times the evacuees would be asked to remain at home and isolate themselves to prevent the potential spread. France France's health minister Agnes Buzyn confirmed a plane will be sent for its stranded citizens on Thursday, to return home on Friday or Saturday. No further details have been given. There are some 800 French citizens stranded in the Wuhan area. She said French nationals will be held in quarantine for two weeks on arrival to stop the virus spreading on home soil. The European Union meanwhile said it would co-fund an airlift effort at France's request, so that more than 100 nationals from other EU nations could be repatriated along with French citizens. Australia Australia is planning to evacuate its citizens from the epicentre of the deadly virus outbreak in China and quarantine them on an island used to detain asylum seekers. No confirmed details have been given, with officials still thrashing out details with Chinese officials. But it is thought Australia will work with New Zealand on the operation and would seek to help Pacific nations evacuate their citizens where possible. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said they would be held in quarantine for 14 days on Christmas Island, known for its notorious immigration detention centre used to detain asylum seekers attempting to reach Australia by boat. Morrison said 'vulnerable' Australians - including children and the elderly - and short-term visitors to Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province would be prioritised in extraction efforts. WHO ELSE IS PLANNING ON EVACUATING RESIDENTS FROM WUHAN? India Local media reported the Indian government will request clearance from Beijing to take more than 250 citizens out of Wuhan and that a Boeing 747 in Mumbai is on standby. Indonesia Jakarta said there are more than 230 Indonesians in China - roughly 100 in Wuhan and the rest in Hubei province. The foreign ministry said yesterday it has yet to decide on an evacuation plan. Malaysia Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said this morning that Kuala Lumpur was keen to send a plane to Wuhan to evacuate some 78 Malaysians stranded in the city. Philippines The foreign ministry said today it would evacuate citizens in Hubei on a chartered flight, and asked nationals in the area to contact the Shanghai consulate. Sri Lanka Colombo said yesterday there were roughly 860 Sri Lankan students in China. The foreign ministry said it is awaiting a response from the Chinese authorities to operate a Sri Lankan airlines charter flight to Wuhan to evacuate some 32 Sri Lankan students and their relatives. South Korea Seoul will send chartered planes to Wuhan this week, the foreign ministry said, to return hundreds of its citizens to South Korea on Thursday and Friday. Thailand Thailand's premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha said yesterday the country was waiting for authorisation from Chinese officials before evacuating people, but that aircraft and doctors were on standby. Germany Berlin has not confirmed any evacuation plan but said it is considering options for roughly 90 citizens reportedly in Wuhan. Spain Spanish officials are working with China and the European Union to take Spanish nationals out of the area, the foreign minister said. Algeria President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has asked the government to take all measures needed to bring home 36 Algerians, most of them students, living in Wuhan, according to state agency APS. Morocco About 100 people, mostly students in Wuhan, will be evacuated, according to local media.Ms Advertisement

Mrs Francis said she, her husband and son Jamie have barely left in her flat in Wuhan for two weeks apart from three times to get supplies.

She added: 'I am so worried about leaving my son. I am trying to get him a flight, and remain hopeful.

'The atmosphere is very scary and everything is becoming overwhelming and stressful.

'Myself and my husband both think it would be best for his health to go back to Britain.

'I don't know anyone who has contracted the virus but we have been inside for days, the atmosphere is very scary and everything is becoming overwhelming and stressful.'

The mother is now anxious Jamie will contract the lethal virus because he suffered a bout of pneumonia in 2018.

Mr Siddle - whose wife will be left behind in Wuhan - added: 'The way things are going that could be a prolonged period before my Sindy could leave China. My daughter's obviously been in flood of tears. She's absolutely devastated.'

The IT software developer added that Sindy was trying to 'keep strong' but has been left 'absolutely distraught' at Chinese authorities tearing their family apart. He added: 'It was an awful decision.'

Mr Siddle told the Guardian there were no health warnings in place when they flew out on January 15. He told the newspaper: 'My head is spinning. It's just horrendous.

'This ordeal just turned into our worst nightmare. How can they put a family in this position? Having to leave Sindy in China would be the worst thing that anyone could be put through. How am I going to tell Jasmine that her mum has to stay behind?'

Mr Siddle said they have to make their own way to Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, where the US and Japan have flown residents out of the city from. But he added that he is a three-hour drive away from the airport, warning that all the roads are on lockdown.

'We've called the local Chinese office to get some details but they're saying the only way we can get a car through is if we have a special diplomatic note, so I've phoned the Foreign Office and asked for that but they said they can't do it. So that's put another stress on top of everything.'

Ben Pinkerton, an English teach stuck in Wuhan, is currently cooped up in an apartment in the virus-hit city waiting to hear when the British government will send the rescue flight on Thursday.

Mr Pinkerton, from Dungannon in Northern Ireland, believes he has secured his place on the evacuation flight – due to leave tomorrow morning – but said there had been 'very little practical advice given' to stranded expats.

He is still unsure exactly when the flight is coming and how he is supposed to get to Wuhan airport with the city on lockdown and public transport ground to a halt.

Mr Pinkerton told MailOnline the evacuation mission was a 'shambles' and admitted he is now begging for officials to get in touch and divulge more details.

He told this website: 'During a time of usual celebration the city's streets are effectively empty, portraying a scene more connected to an apocalyptic movie than a time of New Year jubilation.

'Morale amongst the other British people I know is good, for now. However, with each passing day and very little practical advice given by the government I feel that there are some who will begin to feel nervous.

'We have faith in our leaders, everyone hopes that they will try and assist as best they can, but I implore those at the top to think not only of us but also our families still at home, in the majority of cases I would wager they are more worried than we are, and want nothing more than their relatives to return to safety.

'We spend all day with nothing to do so feeling sleepy is quite a rare thing at the moment. We haven't heard much about a rescue operation, however we received word today to contact the FCO and give our names and passport numbers if we were interested in leaving if the opportunity arose, which leads me to believe perhaps something is in the works.

'We were told that an evacuation was happening Thursday morning, but we haven't been given a time or anything, it's quite nerve wracking, just sitting here waiting.

'A vague time doesn't help us, we have travel arrangements planned with the company we work with, but the driver needs rest and we can't assure him of what time we get picked up. The whole arrangement seems like a shambles.'

Nick House, a British national living in Wuhan with his Indonesian wife and two British children, told Sky News: 'We would like to be out of here. The man on the other end of the phone said, 'Yes, you are on the list, but unfortunately your wife probably won't be able to get on the plane because she doesn't have a visa at the moment'.

'I won't leave without my wife, so essentially the Government are leaving three British people here for the sake of one seat on a plane.'

Lecturer Yvonne Griffiths, who is cooped up in a hotel room in Wuhan, said she received news in the early hours of Wednesday morning that there was to be a flight from Wuhan to the UK.

She told BBC Breakfast that Stansted is a possible destination but that has not been confirmed, and timings had not been been firmed up either.

'We've to be on stand-by so that we can go to the airport very early,' she said.

'We've to be there six to seven hours before the flight leaves, and we would have a screening from some health people here in Wuhan, and if we are not showing any symptoms then we'll be able to board that plane.

'It has been frustrating up until today. I think the lack of certainty about the time of this flight isn't so worrying as long as we know that it's going to happen.

'Prior to that, we had quite a long period of silence from the UK Government about whether there was going to be any contingency plan to get people home.'

It comes after the announcement that Britons will be quarantined at a UK military base for two weeks after they have been airlifted out of the Chinese city of Wuhan on a coronavirus evacuation flight, the government announced today in a screeching u-turn.

Up to 200 British expats who have scrambled for a place on the emergency flight out have finally been told the government has chartered a plane to rescue them and it will leave tomorrow.

But furious evacuees with a coveted seat on the flight say they have still not been told exactly when the flight it is or where it will land – other than at 'a London airport'.

They say they were also told by officials they would be expected to make their own way home, sparking fears they could infect thousands of British people by being allowed to walk around.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock was today forced to announce that everyone on the emergency flight from Wuhan would be placed into quarantine at an undisclosed military airbase for 14 days upon landing.

The Government has been under immense pressure to bring home citizens stranded in the city.

In a tweet Mr Hancock said: 'We are working hard to get British nationals back from Wuhan. Public safety is the top priority.

'Anyone who returns from Wuhan will be safely isolated for 14 days, with all necessary medical attention.'

Passengers may be asked to sign a contract before they board the plane saying they agree to being placed in quarantine – or be left behind if they refuse.

The US, which flew 240 Americans home from Wuhan last night, first took them to Alaska to have medical screening before being allowed home.

Officials then diverted the plane to a military base in Riverside, California – a local official in San Bernadino said only that they were 'prepared for the worst.'

One British man in Wuhan who contacted the British embassy there said he was told he would have to make his own way home and stay there if he was flown back on the evacuation flight.

PE teacher Kharn Lambert, who has since decided not to come back on the flight, told Sky News: 'This morning I was on the phone to the embassy and they've basically told us via a script they were given by the Foreign Office that the flight will be leaving tomorrow, they're not sure what time.

Ben Pinkerton, pictured, is a British teacher from Northern Ireland and living Wuhan. He said it is 'nerve-wracking' to be in the city at the moment and the evacuation arrangements seem like a 'shambles'. It is unknown whether he will be on the flight tomorrow

Chinese tourists wearing protective masks queue at Don Mueang airport in Bangkok, Thailand, as they wait to board flights back to China

A family wear the masks in the Bangkok airport to prevent the highly contagious virus from spreading. It can transmit between humans by a simple cough or sneeze

'It will be arriving at a London airport and once we arrive there that basically the Government will not provide any transport whatsoever and we have to find our own way back to our hometowns and then self-isolate for 14 days, which is absolutely ludicrous.

'It's got a 14-day incubation period. Now, we've been inside for almost 14 days, we're going outside tomorrow and potentially coming into contact with someone that might have the virus, which would then mean we could potentially catch it and then without showing any symptoms could then spread disease around the UK as we travel from the airport to wherever we live in the UK.'

Mr Lambert said he decided to stay in Wuhan so he didn't 'put everybody's health at risk' but said his grandmother would have to fly home because she was frail.

The British government had come under increasing pressure to ramp up its rescue efforts after the US launched an emergency mission to repatriate 240 citizens yesterday and 206 Japanese citizens stuck in Wuhan landed back in Tokyo this morning.

French officials confirmed a plane will be sent to Wuhan on Thursday and Australia said a plane will be sent for its citizens by the end of the week.

Diplomats from the US Consulate as well as other American citizens boarded the flight out of Wuhan Tianhe International Airport yesterday afternoon.

One British dual national also boarded the flight. It is unclear whether any medics were on board to monitor passengers for signs of infection.

It made a refueling stop in Alaska and was due to fly on to Ontario, California – but it has since been diverted to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California, where it is expected to land in the next few hours.

Passengers were screened before initially boarding in Wuhan, and then went through follow-up checks at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska. The will be screened again once they arrive in California. It is thought they will be quarantined for at least 72 hours.

The Chinese partners of US citizens were banned from the rescue flight, reportedly at the demand of Beijing. Japanese officials also chartered a flight from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport to rescue 206 citizens stuck in the coronavirus-hit city.

The plane landed back at Haneda Airport in Tokyo this morning at around 9am local time after flying to Wuhan overnight.

The flight was carrying emergency relief supplies including 15,000 masks, 50,000 pairs of gloves and 8,000 protective glasses for medics in Wuhan. Around four medical officials were also on board to monitor returning passengers.

Officials confirmed passengers would be tested for the coronavirus strain. Japan Times the evacuees would be asked to remain at home and isolate themselves to prevent the potential spread.

France's health minister Agnes Buzyn confirmed a plane will be sent for its stranded citizens on Thursday, to return home on Friday or Saturday. No further details have been given.

There are some 800 French citizens stranded in the Wuhan area. She said French nationals will be held in quarantine for two weeks on arrival to stop the virus spreading on home soil.

Mr Lambert - who is stuck in Wuhan with his visiting 81-year-old grandmother Veronica Theobald and last week begged the Foreign Office to 'come and get them' - revealed he has been in contact with the British embassy in Beijing for the first time

Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who is orchestrating the British rescue mission, said evacuees will be held in quarantine in a military base for two weeks to stop the virus spreading on home soil

Desperate bid to keep virus panic out of Britain: Hancock says all expats returning from the worst hit city of Wuhan will be quarantined on military base for two weeks to prevent it spreading in UK People returning to the UK from the Chinese city of Wuhan on a coronavirus evacuation flight will be quarantined at a military base for two weeks. Up to 200 British expats may be brought home on an emergency flight tomorrow when the Government charters a plane to rescue them. Wuhan, the city at the centre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, is currently on lockdown with no public transport and no international flights out of the city. The Government has been under immense pressure to bring home citizens stranded in the city. And it came under fire after one man said officials had told him he would have to make his own way home when the flight landed. But now Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said people will be properly quarantined – a Government source added: 'I think it's going to be a military base'. In a tweet Mr Hancock said: 'We are working hard to get British nationals back from Wuhan. Public safety is the top priority. 'Anyone who returns from Wuhan will be safely isolated for 14 days, with all necessary medical attention.' The UK's Department of Health has confirmed that it is planning to take people travelling back from Wuhan on Thursday to a military base. Passengers may be asked to sign a contract before they board the plane saying they agree to being placed in quarantine – or be left behind if they refuse. Advertisement

The European Union meanwhile said it would co-fund an airlift effort at France's request, so that more than 100 nationals from other EU nations could be repatriated along with French citizens.

MailOnline revealed today cases of the deadly coronavirus have tripled within three days, after China warned the killer outbreak will peak in the next 10 days.

World Health Organisation figures show just 2,014 patients had been struck down with the SARS-like infection by Sunday, January 26. This has now risen dramatically to 6,168, with cases in the US, Australia and Canada.

Figures also show there were just 445 cases by Wednesday last week - meaning the outbreak that is continuing to escalate has increased in size by almost 14-fold in the space of seven days.

It means the outbreak in mainland China is now bigger than the 2003 SARS epidemic, when 5,327 cases of the killer virus were confirmed. However, it is still behind the total toll of the outbreak, which infected 8,000 people.

It comes after a renowned scientist at China's National Health Commission warned the spread of the infection is only going to get worse. Dr Zhong Nanshan admitted he fears the crisis will peak 'in the next 10 days'.

Health officials in the capital Beijing today warned cases are on the rise. Some 133 people have now died, most of whom lived in Wuhan – the deserted city at the heart of the outbreak.

Just nine deaths were recorded by Chinese officials at the end of Wednesday last week. This jumped to 17 overnight. Fifty-six deaths were recorded by the end of Sunday, meaning deaths have more than doubled in the same time that cases have tripled.

Cases and deaths have also risen overnight, with a WHO situation report revealing there was 4,593 cases and 106 deaths by the end of yesterday. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Beijing and the risk of infection there are on the rise, a health official in the capital city said today.

Pang Xinghuo, vice director of Beijing city's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, made the comments during a press briefing. Beijing has confirmed 1 death and 102 confirmed cases of the virus so far.

Evergreen Airways cabin crew - based in Taiwan - wear face masks for protection against highly contagious coronavirus as they walk out of San Francisco airport

Medics in protective gear treat a patient with coronavirus at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, in Wuhan - the outbreak's epicentre - on Tuesday

Trapped British PE teacher refuses to get on rescue flight because safety is 'not up to scratch' Kharn Lambert, 31, secured a spot on Thursday's evacuation flight but has since given up his seat. He is trapped in Wuhan with his frail grandmother Veronica, 81. The teacher said he did not feel as though British officials had put enough screening in place for when the flight touches down in London, and fears he risks spreading coronavirus on home soil. Mr Lambert told Sky News on Wednesday morning: 'Today I was on the phone to the embassy and they've basically told us via a script they were given by the Foreign Office that the flight will be leaving tomorrow, they're not sure what time. 'It will be arriving at a London airport and once we arrive there that basically the Government will not provide any transport whatsoever and we have to find our own way back to our hometowns and then self-isolate for 14 days, which is absolutely ludicrous. Mr Lambert said he decided to stay in Wuhan so he didn't 'put everybody's health at risk' but said his grandmother would have to fly home because she was frail. Advertisement

Leading scientists have made stark warnings that there could be tens of thousands of patients already infected – far more than the official toll.

Despite growing fears, China has been maintaining a positive front in its 'battle of Wuhan'. President Xi Jinping said the country would defeat the 'devil virus'.

As cases continued to soar, British Airways suspended all flights to mainland China with 'immediate effect' over fears passengers travelling on its planes would be spreading the infection.

The airline halted all bookings on its website for direct flights from London to Beijing and Shanghai until March, following the Foreign Office's unprecedented advice last night urging Britons not to travel to mainland China unless their visit is essential.

Flights to Hong Kong will continue - but passengers will have to use a different airline to head on to the Chinese mainland. It is not yet clear how BA will bring back its thousands of customers booked on flights to the UK from China over the coming weeks.

A BA spokesman said: 'We apologise to customers for the inconvenience, but the safety of our customers and crew is always our priority. Customers due to travel to or from China in the coming days can find more information on BA.com.'

United Airlines, the biggest US carrier to China, has also announced it will be cutting 24 flights in near-term to China and the White House is said to be considering stopping all US-China flights completely to stop the virus spreading.

Culture Secretary Baroness Morgan said BA's decision to suspend all flights to China would give 'more impetus' to the Government's bid to arrange for Britons to travel home - amid growing pressure on British ministers to step up the landmark evacuation mission.

Experts say the difficulty of containing the coronavirus is that so many patients have mild, cold-like symptoms and don't realise they have the infection – but it can quickly turn deadly

Coronavirus cases have TRIPLED to almost 6,200 within three days Cases of the deadly coronavirus sweeping the world have tripled within three days, MailOnline can reveal after China warned the killer outbreak will peak in the next 10 days. World Health Organization figures show just 2,014 patients had been struck down with the SARS-like infection by Sunday, January 26. This has now risen dramatically to 6,168, with cases in the US, Australia and Canada. Figures also show there were just 445 cases by Wednesday last week - meaning the outbreak that is continuing to escalate has increased in size by almost 14-fold in the space of seven days. It means the outbreak in mainland China is now bigger than the 2003 SARS epidemic, when 5,327 cases of the killer virus were confirmed. However, it is still behind the total toll of the outbreak, which infected 8,000 people. It comes after a renowned scientist at China's National Health Commission warned the spread of the infection is only going to get worse. Dr Zhong Nanshan admitted he fears the crisis will peak 'in the next 10 days'. Advertisement

'The Foreign Office will be working with staff on the ground to identify UK nationals,' the Conservative peer told BBC Breakfast.

'We will get people home as soon as we can, as soon as we can make arrangements. 'Obviously, today's decision by British Airways provides more impetus to the Government to make other plans and communicate those.

'The health system is well prepared. We are not aware of any confirmed cases of the virus here in the UK but we do have the expertise to look after people, to treat and to test should that become necessary.'

Rory Boland, travel editor for consumer watchdog Which?, said a lack of clear guidance from BA would spark panic for passengers stranded in China.

He said: 'British Airways' decision to cancel flights to and from China is understandable following the Foreign Office travel warning.

'But a lack of clear information about what this means for BA passengers currently in China and due to fly home with the airline in the coming days is going to cause distress.'

Meanwhile Japanese citizens evacuated from Wuhan have described the fear and confusion in the Chinese city with shops running out of food and everyone wearing masks to protect themselves from the deadly coronavirus.

A total of 206 Japanese citizens landed at Tokyo's Haneda airport this morning, with health professionals carrying out checks on board and at the airport, but no mandatory quarantine was planned.

Chauffeurs in face masks holding name cards were seen at the arrival gate as masked passengers came through security.

Takeo Aoyama, center left, an employee at Nippon Steel Corp's subsidiary in Wuhan, China, and Takayuki Kato, center right, an employee at an information and communications technology company Intec, speak to journalists after returning home

Chauffeurs wearing masks hold name cards in front of an arrival gate at Tokyo International Airport in Tokyo as evacuees from Wuhan arrived back in Japan

A total of 206 Japanese citizens landed at Tokyo's Haneda airport this morning and were picked up in coaches and driven past waiting TV crews

BA dramatically cancels all flights to China until at least March, but travel chaos is feared British Airways suspended all flights to mainland China with 'immediate effect' amid the escalating coronavirus crisis which has killed 130 people. The airline halted all bookings on its website for direct flights from London to Beijing and Shanghai until March, following the Foreign Office's unprecedented advice last night urging Britons not to travel to mainland China unless their visit is essential. Flights to Hong Kong will continue - but passengers will have to use a different airline to head on to the Chinese mainland. It is not yet clear how BA will bring back its thousands of customers booked on flights to the UK from China over the coming weeks. A BA spokesman said: 'We apologise to customers for the inconvenience, but the safety of our customers and crew is always our priority. Customers due to travel to or from China in the coming days can find more information on BA.com.' United Airlines, the biggest US carrier to China, has also announced it will be cutting 24 flights in near-term to China and the White House is said to be considering stopping all US-China flights completely to stop the virus spreading. Culture Secretary Baroness Morgan said BA's decision to suspend all flights to China would give 'more impetus' to the Government's bid to arrange for Britons to travel home - amid growing pressure on British ministers to step up the landmark evacuation mission. Rory Boland, travel editor for consumer watchdog Which?, said a lack of clear guidance from BA would spark panic for passengers stranded in China. He said: 'British Airways' decision to cancel flights to and from China is understandable following the Foreign Office travel warning. 'But a lack of clear information about what this means for BA passengers currently in China and due to fly home with the airline in the coming days is going to cause distress.' Advertisement

Takeo Aoyama, a Nippon Steel employee who arrived on the evacuation flight, described confusion in Wuhan, with travel restrictions intended to contain the virus making it hard for those in the epicentre to know what was happening.

'The number of patients began increasing rapidly at a certain point. That was very worrying,' he told reporters at the airport.

'We were not able to move freely, so we only had partial information. The restrictions on the flow of goods and transport were extremely strict.'

He said food was available, but supply was uncertain, with shops selling out on some days. 'It wasn't a situation where we couldn't get anything at all. But it wasn't a situation where you could get anything freely, either,' Aoyama said.

Takayuki Kato, who worked in Wuhan for the firm Intec, said the atmosphere inside the city had changed as the scale of the crisis became clear.

'Everyone in the city began wearing masks. On the 23rd, when transport was shut down, I became very alarmed,' he said.

The evacuation had gone smoothly, he added. The flight 'was quiet. People were cool-headed'. Five passengers who said they felt unwell were hospitalised on arrival, but there was no confirmation of whether they were infected with the virus.

The flight arrived as several countries worked to extract their nationals from Wuhan, with an American charter flight also leaving the city on Wednesday, bound for an airport in the Los Angeles area.

The Japan flight arrived in Wuhan overnight, carrying emergency relief supplies including 15,000 masks, 50,000 pairs of gloves and 8,000 protective glasses, the foreign ministry said.

Four medical officials were also on board to monitor returning passengers and administer health questionnaires. All passengers will be tested for the new strain of coronavirus, which has killed more than 130 people and infected thousands.

And while there were no plans to confine the arrivals, the evacuees would be asked to remain at home in 'self-quarantine' at least until the results of their tests were known, officials said.

Those with somewhere to stay in and near Tokyo would be taken there by private transport, with others taken to local hotels initially. Japanese officials say there is no legal basis to forcibly quarantine people who have not tested positive.

The health ministry has so far confirmed seven cases of the virus in Japan, including one man who had not travelled to China.

The man from the western region of Nara had driven a tour bus with tourists from Wuhan twice in January, the health ministry said.

Around 650 Japanese nationals have asked to be repatriated from Wuhan, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday that Tokyo was working to organise transport for those who remain.

'We will seek every measure for the return of all (Japanese) people who hope to come home from Wuhan,' he said during a parliament session.

Japanese citizens evacuated from Wuhan described fear and confusion in the city, Residents in face masks are pictured here at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan

Coaches wait on the tarmac next to the chartered aircraft carrying Japanese nationals repatriated from Wuhan at Haneda airport in Tokyo,

Japanese officials loaded supplies onto a charter plane Tokyo's Haneda airport before it flew to Wuhan, China, top evacuate Japanese nationals

WUHAN CORONAVIRUS: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR What is this virus? The virus has been identified as a new type of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of pathogens, most of which cause mild lung infections such as the common cold. But coronaviruses can also be deadly. SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, is caused by a coronavirus and killed hundreds of people in China and Hong Kong in the early 2000s. Can the Wuhan coronavirus kill? Yes – 170 people have so far died after testing positive for the virus. What are the symptoms? Some people who catch the Wuhan coronavirus may not have any symptoms at all, or only very mild ones like a sore throat or a headache. Others may suffer from a fever, cough or trouble breathing. And a small proportion of patients will go on to develop severe infection which can damage the lungs or cause pneumonia, a life-threatening condition which causes swelling and fluid build-up in the lungs. How is it detected? The virus's genetic sequencing was released by scientists in China and countries around the world have used this to create lab tests, which must be carried out to confirm an infection. Delays to these tests, to test results and to people getting to hospitals in China, mean the number of confirmed cases is expected to be just a fraction of the true scale of the outbreak. How did it start and spread? The first cases identified were among people connected to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan. Cases have since been identified around China and are known to have spread from person to person. What are countries doing to prevent the spread? Countries in Asia have stepped up airport surveillance. They include Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines. Australia and the US are also screening patients for a high temperature, and the UK announced it will screen passengers returning from Wuhan. Is it similar to anything we've ever seen before? Experts have compared it to the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The epidemic started in southern China and killed more than 700 people in mainland China, Hong Kong and elsewhere. SCROLL DOWN TO SEE MAILONLINE'S FULL Q&A ON THE CORONAVIRUS Advertisement

The government 'will do everything it can to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading', he added.

Meanwhile, a British coronavirus patient who had returned from Wuhan was loaded into an ambulance by a hazmat-clad paramedic yesterday - hours after being sent home by his GP.

Drew Bennett, 39, was feared to have contracted the potentially deadly virus during a recent holiday to the Chinese city at the heart of the outbreak and is currently in isolation at a Birmingham hospital.

The sales worker returned from Wuhan on New Years' Eve and quickly developed flu-like symptoms before becoming too unwell to leave his bed.

But he revealed that when he visited his GP on Monday he was told to go home - despite fears the highly contagious virus is poised to claim its first British victim.

The advice given by his doctor contradicted health bosses' warning that suspected coronavirus patients must be 'locked in a room alone straight away'.

Guidance issued to GPs by Public Health England last week ordered them to put patients in a separate room, close the door and 'don't let them touch anything or anyone'.

At 4.20pm on Monday an ambulance carrying medics in hazmat suits was sent to Mr Bennett's address in Harborne, Birmingham. He was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to have blood tests, where he remains in isolation awaiting results.

Video captured by a neighbour showed one medic wearing a white hazmat suit, blue apron, gloves and a mask with a visor, escorting him into the ambulance.

But two West Midlands Ambulance Service crew could be seen without any protective clothing or masks - sparking fears British authorities are failing to take the threat of spreading the killer disease seriously.

The latest video comes despite Health Secretary Matt Hancock just yesterday warning around 2,000 Britons who are thought to have returned from Wuhan since the start of the outbreak to 'self-isolate, stay indoors and avoid contact with other people' in a significant ramping up of precautions.

Meanwhile in China, health workers have been hosing down streets, shops and public transport with disinfectant spray to try curb the spiralling epidemic.

Coronavirus has been deemed highly contagious and can spread via a simple cough or sneeze. It has killed more than 130 people in under a month.

West Midlands Ambulance Service has refused to answer any questions about why some staff were not wearing protective clothing while collecting Mr Bennett. A spokesman for the trust repeatedly told this website: 'We can't say a thing about the case.'

Speaking from his hospital bed, Mr Bennett told Birmingham Live: 'Once I got back I was really ill with, what I thought, was a bad case of the flu. At that stage coronavirus hadn't really been mentioned so I thought nothing of it.

'However, when I went to the GP on Monday and he asked as a precaution if I had been to China, he seemed really concerned.

'I was sent home and before I knew it, ambulances and people in hazmat suits had turned up. 'I'm now in isolation at the QE [Queen Elizabeth] and just waiting to get my blood test results.'

Mr Bennett said he 'did not feel particularly unwell' now but admitted he has 'not been 100 per cent' since returning from China.

The salesman was sent home from his doctor practice on Monday despite admitting he was struck down with illness after visiting disease-ridden Wuhan last month.

But just last week Public Health England told doctors to lock patients in a room and leave straight away if they suspect they have coronavirus.

It reiterated that there were no confirmed cases of the virus in the UK. Nearly 100 people have now been tested for the virus, but all of them have come back as negative.

Passengers wearing face masks walk out of the international terminal and greet family members at the San Francisco International Airport after flying from Taiwan

ARE OTHER AIRLINES CANCELLING FLIGHTS? British Airways suspended all flights to mainland China with 'immediate effect' today amid the escalating coronavirus crisis which has killed 133 people. The airline halted all bookings on its website for direct flights from London to Beijing and Shanghai until March, following the Foreign Office's unprecedented advice last night urging Britons not to travel to mainland China unless their visit is essential. United Airlines, the biggest US carrier to China, has also announced it will be cutting 24 flights in the near-term to China and the White House is said to be considering stopping all US-China flights completely to stop the virus spreading. American Airlines, Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, Air KBZ (Myanmar), Urals Airlines, and Finnair are among carriers that have cancelled some or all China flights as countries expand travel warnings and demand plummets due to the coronavirus outbreak. And Air India and South Korean budget carrier Seoul Air are also halting all flights to the country, and Indonesia's Lion Air plans to do the same. Virgin Atlantic will continue to operate its flights between Heathrow and Shanghai, the company said, but passengers who no longer want to travel will be able to rebook or obtain a refund free of charge. Advertisement

The extraordinary guidance read: 'If [the Wuhan coronavirus] is considered possible when a consultation is already in progress, withdraw from the room, close the door and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

'Avoid physical examination of a suspected case. The patient should remain in the room with the door closed. Belongings and waste should remain in the room.

'Advise others not to enter the room. If a clinical history still needs to be obtained or completed, do this by telephone.

'The patient should not be allowed to use communal toilet facilities. Instruct them to not touch anything or anyone when walking to the toilet. Instruct the patient to wash their hands thoroughly after toileting.'

Christian Diaz, 32, who lives across the hallway from Mr Bennett's flat, said he is now fearful for his own health after spending so long in close proximity to him.

He added: 'I was absolutely terrified when I looked out of my window and saw people walking around in Hazmat suits. It looked like something out of a movie.

'An ambulance pulled up and then he was taken out wearing a mask. It seemed very serious. We are all very worried. Nobody has let us know what is going on.

'We don't know whether the building will be put into quarantine if it turns out that he does have the infection. Obviously, we hope that he is OK, but it's concerning for everyone.'

Separate footage taken in the early hours of Monday showed an ambulance worker in a white protective suit outside an address in Spitalfields, east London.

Details about the video are scarce and the London Ambulance Service Trust refused to comment, saying the Department of Health (DoH) is dealing with the incident. The DoH said it would not speak on individual cases.

Meanwhile, China's first dedicated coronavirus hospital has opened in a city near Wuhan after workers and volunteers spent just two days converting an empty building to a 1,000-bed emergency facility.

The first batch of coronavirus patients were transferred to the Dabie Mountain Regional Medical Centre in Huanggang at around 10:30pm local time on Tuesday.

The extra capacity will be crucial for overwhelmed medical staff in Hubei, the locked-down province at the centre of the crisis.

Another hospital is being purpose-built from scratch in Wuhan 47 miles (75km) away and is expected to be completed later this week after just a week of construction.

The Dabie Mountain Regional Medical Centre is the first dedicated coronavirus hospital to have opened in China. Workers and volunteers spent two days revamping an empty building

By Monday, all of the beds had been set up by volunteers, and water, electricity and internet had also been connected, according to the government of Huanggang

A handout image from the Huanggang government shows workers from the city's electricity company working to connect the building to the grid so it can treat coronavirus patients

UAE announces its first FOUR cases of killer Chinese coronavirus The United Arab Emirates has declared its first four cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, marking the first time the disease has been seen in the Middle East. Four people from the same family travelling to the UAE from Wuhan, the locked-down city at the centre of the crisis, have been taken into hospital after becoming ill. How the family managed to travel out of Wuhan and all the way to the Middle East is unknown but concerning because Dubai has the world's third busiest airport. The government has not yet commented on the details of the coronavirus spread to the country, Reuters reported. But it did say those diagnosed with the virus were in stable condition and under medical observation. Major UAE airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi last week said passengers arriving in China would be screened on arrival, a precaution taken by airports elsewhere. Emirati officials said they are taking 'all the necessary precautions in accordance with the scientific recommendations, conditions and standards approved by the World Health Organization.' Fears of the spreading virus have already pushed airlines to reduce flights to China. Emirates said on Wednesday its flights were operating normally. Advertisement

The hospital building in the city's Huangzhou District was originally built as a new branch of Huanggang Central Hospital and expected to open in May.

But on Friday, the local authority ordered the complete but empty building to be used for treating coronavirus patients only and began preparations on Saturday.

By Monday, all of the beds had been set up by volunteers and water, electricity and internet had also been installed, according to the government of Huanggang.

More than 500 workers and a dozen heavy vehicles worked two days and nights in order to complete the task on time.

Situated 47 miles (75 km) south-west of Wuhan, Huanggang has a population of around 7.5million and is one of the cities hit hardest by coronavirus.

It went into lockdown last Thursday, the same day as Wuhan, and has seen at least 213 confirmed cases and four deaths.

Much of the Hubei province, which contains both of the cities, now has no public transport and limited road traffic.

Anyone from the province who does manage to leave is likely to be turned away or quarantined at their destination – many, such as Hong Kong, are banning visitors from Wuhan, while the UK has told anyone travelling out of the area to isolate themselves at home.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the latest country to declare cases – an unknown number among a family travelling from China – and Germany has now diagnosed four people with the infection.

Four people from the same family travelling to the UAE from Wuhan, the locked-down city at the centre of the crisis, have been taken into hospital after becoming ill.

How the family managed to travel out of Wuhan and all the way to the Middle East is unknown but concerning because Dubai has the world's third busiest airport.

The government has not yet commented on the details of the coronavirus spread to the country, Reuters reported. But it did say those diagnosed with the virus were in stable condition and under medical observation.

Major UAE airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi last week said passengers arriving in China would be screened on arrival, a precaution taken by airports elsewhere.

Emirati officials said they are taking 'all the necessary precautions in accordance with the scientific recommendations, conditions and standards approved by the World Health Organization.'

Fears of the spreading virus have already pushed airlines to reduce flights to China. Emirates said on Wednesday its flights were operating normally.

Wuhan's SECOND coronavirus hospital springs from the ground in time-lapse video as officials say it will be open in a week and global death toll hits 133A

Amazing time-lapse footage has shown heavy-duty vehicles working in full gear in Wuhan to build the city's second coronavirus hospital which is expected to open in a week.

The drone video emerged after China's first coronavirus hospital yesterday started to treat patients in Huanggang following just two days of building works.

Beijing has sent more than 6,000 medical workers, including military doctors, to the province of Hubei in central China to help fight the lethal virus, which has killed at least 133 and infected more than 6,160 worldwide.

Authorities from two provinces have ordered at least four emergency medical centres to be constructed in no longer than 10 days in a bid to contain the outbreak.

Trending footage released by Chinese state media People's Daily shows construction works in full swing on the site of Leishenshan Hospital, the second coronavirus hospitals in Wuhan

The second hospital in Wuhan, named the Leishanshan or Thunder God Mountain Hospital, is situated in Jiangxia District, a suburban area to the south of the city centre. In the picture above, construction machinery sits at the site of the second temporary hospital on January 26. Construction started on Saturday and the hospital is set to have two buildings

Around 2,000 medical workers are expected to treat patients in the dedicated 14-acre, 1,600-bed centre, which is the second of its kind in Wuhan, the ground zero of the coronavirus outbreak in China. In the picture above, an engineering contractor walks in front of construction machinery on the construction site of the Leishenshan Hospital on January 26

The second institution is named the Thunder God Mountain Hospital because Chinese people believe the God of Thunder is the God who punishes the God of Evil, signifying that the locals wish the 'evil' coronavirus to be controlled as soon as possible

The 50-second clip of the construction site of Wuhan's Leishenshan Hospital was shared today by People's Daily Online on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter.

The medical centre, also known as the Thunder God Mountain Hospital, is situated in Jiangxia District, a suburban area to the south of Wuhan, where the coronavirus first emerged late last month.

Why are China's coronavirus hospitals called Huoshenshan and Leishanshan The names of both hospitals in Wuhan are inspired by the Chinese mythology. The first facility is named the Fire God Mountain Hospital because according to legend, fire can counteract gold, which is one of the five elements in traditional Chinese medicine that represents a person's lungs - indicating the coronavirus which mainly infects one's respiratory system. The second institution is named the Thunder God Mountain Hospital because Chinese people believe the God of Thunder is the God who punishes the God of Evil, signifying that the locals hope the 'evil' coronavirus can be subdued as soon as possible. Advertisement

The facility will occupy about 60,000 square metres (14 acres), including 51,000 square metres (12 acres) of quarantine units and 9,000 square metres (2.2 acres) of dormitories to house around 2,000 medical workers, a spokesperson from China Construction Third Engineering Bureau told Xinhua News Agency.

The hospital was originally designed to have 1,300 beds, but the the government of Wuhan has decided to have 300 extra beds installed after the outbreak accelerated in recent days.

Building works officially started on Sunday and as of noon today, a third of the project has been complete, the same report said.

The first coronavirus hospital to be built in Wuhan is the Huoshenshan or Fire God Mountain Hospital, which is situated in Caidian District in the western suburbs of the city.

The city's officials instructed four construction companies last Friday to toil through the Chinese New Year holiday in order to complete the six-acre, 1,000-bed institution in the space of seven days.

According to a previous report from CCTV, the Huoshenshan hospital was due to comprise a number of temporary buildings, but the officials were still deciding whether they would use pre-fabricated components to be assembled onsite or wards converted from shipping containers.

The Chinese city ravaged by a deadly new virus has vowed to build two hospitals in less than a week to fight an outbreak that has left at least 133 people dead in the country. In the picture above, mechanical equipment are seen working on the construction site of the coronavirus hospital in the Caidian District in the western suburb of Wuhan, China, on January 24

China is building at least four coronavirus hospitals in a bid to curb the spread of the disease

Two of the urgent projects are in Wuhan, one in nearby Huanggang and one in Zhenzhou

The Huoshenshan Hospital is expected to open on February 2 while the Leishenshan Hospital is due to receive patients on February 5. Both will be run by military medics.

China's President Xi Jinping today ordered his two-million-strong army to shoulder their responsibilities given by the people and fight the war that is the coronavirus outbreak.

Another hospital is being built in Zhenzhou in central China's Henan Province, which borders Hubei. Workers started renovating an old hospital branch on Monday and the project is expected to finish within 10 days.

All of them are modelled on a temporary medical centre in Beijing in 2003, which was built in seven days to tackle SARS and treated one-seventh of the country's SARS patient in the space of two months.

China's first coronavirus hospital opened in Huanggang yesterday after workers and volunteers spent just two days converting an empty building to a 1,000-bed emergency facility.

The first batch of coronavirus patients were transferred to the Dabie Mountain Regional Medical Centre in Huanggang at around 10:30pm local time Tuesday.

The Dabie Mountain Regional Medical Centre is the first dedicated coronavirus hospital to have opened in China. Workers and volunteers spent two days revamping an empty building

A picture released by the Huanggang government shows construction workers installing necessary facilities on the site of Dabie Mountain Regional Medical Centre on January 25

Everything we know we know about the deadly coronavirus in China: But how worried should we be?

Someone who is infected with the Wuhan coronavirus can spread it with just a simple cough or a sneeze, scientists say.

At least 133 people with the virus are now confirmed to have died and more than 6,000 have been infected in at least 18 countries and regions. But experts predict the true number of people with the disease could be 100,000, or even as high as 350,000 in Wuhan alone, as they warn it may kill as many as two in 100 cases. Here's what we know so far:

What is the Wuhan coronavirus?

A coronavirus is a type of virus which can cause illness in animals and people. Viruses break into cells inside their host and use them to reproduce itself and disrupt the body's normal functions. Coronaviruses are named after the Latin word 'corona', which means crown, because they are encased by a spiked shell which resembles a royal crown.

The coronavirus from Wuhan is one which has never been seen before this outbreak. It is currently named 2019-nCoV, and does not have a more detailed name because so little is known about it.

Dr Helena Maier, from the Pirbright Institute, said: 'Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that infect a wide range of different species including humans, cattle, pigs, chickens, dogs, cats and wild animals.

'Until this new coronavirus was identified, there were only six different coronaviruses known to infect humans. Four of these cause a mild common cold-type illness, but since 2002 there has been the emergence of two new coronaviruses that can infect humans and result in more severe disease (Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronaviruses).

'Coronaviruses are known to be able to occasionally jump from one species to another and that is what happened in the case of SARS, MERS and the new coronavirus. The animal origin of the new coronavirus is not yet known.'

The first human cases were publicly reported from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where approximately 11million people live, after medics first started seeing infections on December 31.

By January 8, 59 suspected cases had been reported and seven people were in critical condition. Tests were developed for the new virus and recorded cases started to surge.

The first person died that week and, by January 16, two were dead and 41 cases were confirmed. The next day, scientists predicted that 1,700 people had become infected, possibly up to 4,500.

Just a week after that, there had been more than 800 confirmed cases and those same scientists estimated that some 4,000 – possibly 9,700 – were infected in Wuhan alone. By that point, 26 people had died.

By January 27, more than 2,800 people were confirmed to have been infected, 81 had died, and estimates of the total number of cases ranged from 100,000 to 350,000 in Wuhan alone.

By January 29, the number of deaths had risen to 133 and cases were in excess of 6,000.

Experts say the difficulty of containing the coronavirus is that so many patients have mild, cold-like symptoms and don't realise they have the infection – but it can quickly turn deadly

Where does the virus come from?

Nobody knows for sure. Coronaviruses in general tend to originate in animals – the similar SARS and MERS viruses are believed to have originated in civet cats and camels, respectively.

The first cases of the virus in Wuhan came from people visiting or working in a live animal market in the city, which has since been closed down for investigation.

Although the market is officially a seafood market, other dead and living animals were being sold there, including wolf cubs, salamanders, snakes, peacocks, porcupines and camel meat.

Bats are a prime suspect – researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences said in a recent statement: 'The Wuhan coronavirus' natural host could be bats… but between bats and humans there may be an unknown intermediate.'

And another scientific journal article has suggested the virus first infected snakes, which may then have transmitted it to people at the market in Wuhan.

Peking University researchers analysed the genes of the coronavirus and said they most closely matched viruses which are known to affect snakes. They said: 'Results derived from our evolutionary analysis suggest for the first time that snake is the most probable wildlife animal reservoir for the 2019-nCoV,' in the Journal of Medical Virology.

So far the fatalities are quite low. Why are health experts so worried about it?

Experts say the international community is concerned about the virus because so little is known about it and it appears to be spreading quickly.

It is similar to SARS, which infected 8,000 people and killed nearly 800 in an outbreak in Asia in 2003, in that it is a type of coronavirus which infects humans' lungs.

Another reason for concern is that nobody has any immunity to the virus because they've never encountered it before. This means it may be able to cause more damage than viruses we come across often, like the flu or common cold.

Speaking at a briefing in January, Oxford University professor, Dr Peter Horby, said: 'Novel viruses can spread much faster through the population than viruses which circulate all the time because we have no immunity to them.

'Most seasonal flu viruses have a case fatality rate of less than one in 1,000 people. Here we're talking about a virus where we don't understand fully the severity spectrum but it's possible the case fatality rate could be as high as two per cent.'

If the death rate is truly two per cent, that means two out of every 100 patients who get it will die.

'My feeling is it's lower,' Dr Horby added. 'We're probably missing this iceberg of milder cases. But that's the current circumstance we're in.

'Two per cent case fatality rate is comparable to the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918 so it is a significant concern globally.'

How does the virus spread?

The illness can spread between people just through coughs and sneezes, making it an extremely contagious infection. And it may also spread even before someone has symptoms.

It is believed to travel in the saliva and even through water in the eyes, therefore close contact, kissing, and sharing cutlery or utensils are all risky.

Originally, people were thought to be catching it from a live animal market in Wuhan city. But cases soon began to emerge in people who had never been there, which forced medics to realise it was spreading from person to person.

There is now evidence that it can spread third hand – to someone from a person who caught it from another person.

What does the virus do to you? What are the symptoms?

Once someone has caught the virus it may take between two and 14 days for them to show any symptoms – but they may still be contagious during this time.

If and when they do become ill, typical signs include a runny nose, a cough, sore throat and a fever (high temperature). The vast majority of patients – at least 97 per cent, based on available data – will recover from these without any issues or medical help.

In a small group of patients, who seem mainly to be the elderly or those with long-term illnesses, it can lead to pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection in which the insides of the lungs swell up and fill with fluid. It makes it increasingly difficult to breathe and, if left untreated, can be fatal and suffocate people.

What have genetic tests revealed about the virus?

Scientists in China have recorded the genetic sequences of around 19 strains of the virus and released them to experts working around the world.

This allows others to study them, develop tests and potentially look into treating the illness they cause.

Examinations have revealed the coronavirus did not change much – changing is known as mutating – much during the early stages of its spread.

However, the director-general of China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Gao Fu, yesterday said the virus was mutating and adapting as it spread through people.

This means efforts to study the virus and to potentially control it may be made extra difficult because the virus might look different every time scientists analyse it.

More study may be able to reveal whether the virus first infected a small number of people then change and spread from them, or whether there were various versions of the virus coming from animals which have developed separately.

How dangerous is the virus?

The virus has so far killed 133 people out of a total of at least 6,000 officially confirmed cases – a death rate of around two per cent. This is a similar death rate to the Spanish Flu outbreak which, in 1918, went on to kill around 50million people.

However, experts say the true number of patients is likely considerably higher and therefore the death rate considerably lower. Imperial College London researchers estimate that there were 4,000 (up to 9,700) cases in Wuhan city alone up to January 18 – officially there were only 444 there to date. If cases are in fact 100 times more common than the official figures, the virus may be far less dangerous than currently believed.

Experts say it is likely only the most seriously ill patients are seeking help and are therefore recorded – the vast majority will have only mild, cold-like symptoms. For those whose conditions do become more severe, there is a risk of developing pneumonia which can destroy the lungs and kill you.

Can the virus be cured?

The Wuhan coronavirus cannot currently be cured and it is proving difficult to contain.

Antibiotics do not work against viruses, so they are out of the question. Antiviral drugs can, but the process of understanding a virus then developing and producing drugs to treat it would take years and huge amounts of money.

No vaccine exists for the coronavirus yet and it's not likely one will be developed in time to be of any use in this outbreak, for similar reasons to the above.

The National Institutes of Health in the US, and Baylor University in Waco, Texas, say they are working on a vaccine based on what they know about coronaviruses in general, using information from the SARS outbreak. But this may take a year or more to develop, according to Pharmaceutical Technology.

Currently, governments and health authorities are working to contain the virus and to care for patients who are sick and stop them infecting other people.

People who catch the illness are being quarantined in hospitals, where their symptoms can be treated and they will be away from the uninfected public.

And airports around the world are putting in place screening measures such as having doctors on-site, taking people's temperatures to check for fevers and using thermal screening to spot those who might be ill (infection causes a raised temperature).

However, it can take weeks for symptoms to appear, so there is only a small likelihood that patients will be spotted up in an airport.

Is this outbreak an epidemic or a pandemic?

The outbreak has not officially been confirmed as either an epidemic or a pandemic yet. This is likely because, despite the global concern, the number of people who have been confirmed to be infected is still relatively low.

A pandemic is defined by the World Health Organization as the 'worldwide spread of a new disease'.

An epidemic is when a disease takes hold of a smaller community, such as a single country, region or continent.