Confirmed coronavirus case in Bucks believed to be man from Aylesbury

Public Health released official confirmation of the Bucks case on Friday, revealing the infected person had recently travelled to Italy. - Read full story here.

That tallies with information The Bucks Herald has received that the man believed to have the coronavirus in Aylesbury returned from Northern Italy two weeks ago following a two-week holiday and has been self-isolating after becoming ill upon his return.

This paper has contacted Public Health England (PHE) and BCC for more details in an attempt to allay concerns amid speculation on social media at the weekend.

At the time of going to press, neither had been able to provide more information.

In addition to the case referred to above, an 83-year-old man died in a Milton Keynes Hospital on Friday after contracting the virus - Read full story here.

And a second patient has now come down with the virus at MK Hospital it was revealed this morning - Read full story here.Eight people are currently known to have died from coronavirus in the UK. A British citizen also died of the virus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.

A total of 456 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK so far, as of 9am on Thursday 12 March.

There are now 126,621 cases globally, with 4,638 people confirmed to have died.

Buckinghamshire County Council’s Director of Public Health, Dr Jane O’Grady, said on Friday: “I’d like to reassure people that the risk to the general public remains low and we are working with health colleagues to do everything we can to stop the virus spreading and ensure the people of Buckinghamshire are protected.

“If you have not been contacted by Public Health England as a close contact of the confirmed cases you do not need to take any action at this time.”

In response to advice given by members of the public on social media over the weekend, a Bucks County Council spokesperson said:

"Buckinghamshire County Council is aware that unofficial attempts to provide advice on the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus have appeared on social media but we would urge residents to treat these with great caution. We would instead reiterate that all official guidance on the Coronavirus is being issued by Public Health England and NHS England. This advice is under constant review and is being updated as the situation develops. It can be found at www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response and 111.nhs.uk/covid-19."

Health and local authorities are appealing for people to follow national Government guidance to prevent further spread of the illness and limit the numbers affected.

This guidance includes taking basic hygiene precautions as the best way of significantly reducing the chances of spreading any virus: sneeze or cough into a tissue, bin it, wash your hands frequently and don’t touch your face unless you’ve just washed your hands.

The symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are:

- a cough

- a high temperature

- shortness of breath

Self-isolation means you should:

- stay at home

- not go to work, school or public places

- not use public transport or taxis

- ask friends, family members or delivery services to do errands for you

- try to avoid visitors to your home – it's OK for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food

For more information on the symptoms and steps to take, go to www.nhs.uk/coronavirusFor the latest advice on travellers returning from affected areas, plus guidance to schools and care homes, visit www.gov.uk/coronavirusDetails on testing are published daily at 2pm and includes a breakdown of negative and positive tests www.gov.uk/guidance/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-information-for-the-public