Hand sanitiser shelves empty in Blackpool amid fears of the killer coronavirus Covid-19

But experts and the Government, which yesterday revealed its battle plan against the coronavirus, urged calm – insisting we can cope with any widespread outbreak.

Sales of germ-busting hand gel and household cleaners have rocketed by seven and 10 per cent in the last month, according to one study, with scores of shelves cleared at stores across Blackpool.

Tesco Extra and Asda in Marton, and Sainsbury’s, Boots, and Superdrug in the town centre were all out of stock.

But Andrew Opie from the British Retail Consortium, which represents the major supermarkets, said: “Disruption to supply chains has been limited, and the availability of products remains good. Retailers are working closely with their suppliers and monitoring consumer behaviour to anticipate changes in future demand.”

He said hand sanitiser sales have risen because people are taking “sensible precautions to reduce the spread of coronavirus”, which has infected more than 50 people in the UK, though none on the Fylde coast, and said shops are “also taking the necessary steps to meet the rise in demand for certain hygiene products”.

Stocks of staple longer-life products like pasta and tinned food remained plentiful across the Fylde coast yesterday, as the Government’s chief scientific adviser said there was “absolutely no reason” for shoppers to panic buy or hoard supplies at home.

Sir Patrick Vallance said: “Clearly there will need to be measures in cases of household quarantine for making sure food is in the right place at the right time but we imagine that could be a rolling case of household quarantine if that measure becomes necessary, and clearly things will need to be in place for care homes and so on if that decision is made.”

Pensioner Jimmy Threlfall, 72, of Tranmere Road, Marton, said he isn’t scared of the virus. The retired teacher said: “There are plenty of things in the world to be worried about but everyone would be hermits if we were all scared of them.

“As long as people wash their hands, which they should be doing anyway, I think everything will be okay. I do think some people have exaggerated how bad it is.”

And Christine Hover, 54, of Rough Heys Lane, Marton, believes the media have created a “frenzy”.

The nursing assistant said: “It would be interesting to know how many people have had a normal flu over the same period as I would imagine it would be far greater.

“I think because it has been plastered over the media day-in day-out it has caused some people to panic so it’s not surprising hand sanitisers have ran out.

“Only a few people in the UK have contracted it so for people to start panic buying is quite ridiculous.”

Marion Kelly, 79, of Milton Avenue, Blackpool, a retired seamstress, added: “If you are elderly or suffer from poor health I think it is a worrying time.

“Winter in general can be a terrible time for some, so to have a virus on the horizon which has already killed thousands is very worrying.”

Globally, more than 90,000 cases of the coronavirus – called Covid-19 – have been confirmed, with more than 3,000 deaths.

Most have been in the Chinese province where outbreak started, though up to 80 per cent of the British population could be infected, with people in hospital with pneumonia and a relatively high death rate among the elderly and frail in a worst case scenario.

Government draws up ‘battle plan’ to combat ‘likely’ spread

A 27-page document yesterday set out the UK-wide response, with possible measures including the cancellation of non-urgent operations and retired NHS staff being called “back to duty”.

Possible strategies for delaying the spread of the virus include school closures, axing large-scale gatherings, and encouraging people to work from home.

The military could also provide support to emergency services if needed, the plan said.

Launching the plan at a Downing Street press conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he had “no doubt at all” that the “country is going to get through coronavirus, and get through it in good shape”.

He said it was “highly likely” the UK would see more widespread infection than at present, but added: “Let me be absolutely clear that for the overwhelming majority of people who contract the virus, this will be a mild disease from which they will speedily and fully recover, as we have already seen.”

What’s being done locally to prepare?

A specialist coronavirus pod has been opened at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, with a number of people already tested there. None have come back positive.

And boss Kevin McGee said staff are “doing everything we need to do” to prepare for any outbreak.

He said: “We have internal plans in place and we have our pod up and running.

“We have protection gear that is necessary in place and are working with colleagues in terms of a system response across the Fylde coast.

“This is a changing position and we are getting information nationally on a daily basis.

“But I want to give assurance everything that can be done on a local basis is in place.”

The hospital said “most cases appear to be mild” with flu-like symptoms including a fever, a cough, and breathing difficulties.

Resort’s Chinese restaurants being shunned because of outbreak, owner says

Gareth Thomas, who owns Michael Wan’s Mandarin in Clifton Street, Blackpool town centre, and The Wok Inn Seaside Noodle Bar on the Prom, said custom has dropped off recently – which he blamed on unfounded coronavirus fears.

He said: “It’s a difficult situation. We have noticed this year compared to the last few years that trade has been down and I believe the coronavirus has had an impact on it.

“Some people have also been saying that they are worried about going into a Chinese restaurant but more so I think it’s a general perception of the Chinese and Asian communities.”

Mr Thomas, whose wife was born in Hong Kong, said there is no need for people avoid their local favourite Chinese diners.

He added: “Most of our staff are English anyway and not one member of staff has been to any of the countries that have been heavily affected by the outbreak.

“At the moment it is highly unlikely to pick it up in the North West and people need to know that there is no difference between picking it up in a Chinese restaurant than in a fried chicken or burger shop.”

Vast majority of medics feel the NHS isn’t ready

The Doctors’ Association UK said just eight of 1,618 medics surveyed felt the NHS is ready for coronavirus.

Despite a forthcoming public health campaign, a YouGov poll suggested 54 per cent of people have not been taking any extra steps to protect themselves.

History of major virus outbreaks in the UK in recent times

The UK has been hit by a handful of major virus outbreaks over the past 100 years.

By far the most severe was the so-called ‘Spanish flu’ pandemic of 1918-19, which overlapped with the end of the First World War.

Globally the outbreak is estimated to have killed between 20 and 50 million people. In the UK, the number of fatalities was around 200,000 - equivalent to roughly 0.5% of the pre-war population.

Spanish flu was a particularly severe strain of the H1N1 influenza virus. Almost a century later, another strain caused the ‘swine flu’ outbreak of 2009-10.

This was a very mild pandemic compared with its forerunner, but is still estimated to have caused around 18,000 deaths worldwide including 457 in the UK, according to government figures.

Swine flu is believed to have emerged in Mexico. The precise origin of Spanish flu remains unclear.

There have been two moderate pandemics in recent history: so-called ‘Asian flu’ and ‘Hong Kong flu’.

Asian flu began in southern China and spread around the world in 1957-58.

Up to four million deaths have been attributed to this outbreak, including around 33,000 in the UK.

The Hong Kong flu pandemic of 1968-69 also began in southern China and led to a similar number of deaths worldwide - though in the UK the number was higher than for Asian flu, totalling around 80,000.

In recent years there have been two threatened pandemics that did not materialise, both from strains of coronavirus: Serious Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2002-03, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012.

Neither of these outbreaks have been linked to any deaths in the UK