The first cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in the UK, being treated at a specialist centre.
This comes as 83 Britons on an evacuation flight from the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak are due to land in the UK.
The two patients are currently being treated at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in its specialist Airborne High Consequences Infectious Disease Centre (HCID).
It is understood that they travelled to the and are undergoing treatment at the Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary.
Should I be worried about coronavirus?
An outbreak investigation team has been formed to trace anyone who has been in contact with the pair to prevent onward transmission.
Professor Sharon Peacock from Public Health England said anyone who has been in contact with the two patients in England should self-isolate for 14 days, and if they develop any symptoms they are advised to call 111 or their GP.
She said while staff are currently working to trace people who have been in contact with the pair, they do not currently have "any idea" of how high that number might be.
In a statement, chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said: "The patients are receiving specialist NHS care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus.
"The NHS is extremely well prepared and used to managing infections, and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread.
"We have been preparing for UK cases of novel coronavirus and we have robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately.
"We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organisation and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities."
Anyone who comes to the UK from anywhere in China and shows any symptoms associated with the coronavirus should "self-isolate" for 14 days, Prof Whitty added.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that cause disease in animals. In Wuhan, China, a new strain of the virus made the jump from animals to humans.
This new virus, known as Novel coronavirus (2019-nCov), is thought to be more dangerous than other forms of the coronavirus.
For confirmed 2019-nCoV infections, reported illnesses have ranged from people being mildly sick to people being severely ill and dying.
Symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes at this time the symptoms of 2019-nCoV may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 after exposure.
This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS viruses.
