Coronavirus panic buying sees Doncaster supermarket shelves stripped of hand wash

This picture, taken at the Bawtry Road branch of Asda, shows how hundreds of bottles of hand wash and gels have been snapped up in the last few days in the wake of the number of cases of the deadly bug in the UK rising to 116 – with the number expected to keep climbing rapidly in the coming days and weeks.

Other supermarkets and shops across Doncaster have run out of supplies of hand wash, with people also stockpiling paracetamol, cold and flu relief remedies and toilet paper.

Last night, the first UK death from the deadly virus, which originated in China, was announced in Berkshire.

Globally, there have been nearly 100,000 cases of COVID-19 and the virus has spread rapidly across the globe.

Earlier this week, the UK Government pushed out a campaign, urging people to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds – and more frequently.

Advice also recommends catching coughs and sneezes in tissues and binning them straight away, or coughing into your sleeve if you do not have a tissue present.

Symptoms include a high fever, dry cough and breathing difficulties and anyone who thinks they may have coronavirus is urged to contact the NHS on 111 and not to attend a doctor’s surgery or hospital but instead to self isolate for a period of 14 days.