Dr Jenny Harries told the BBC’s Today Programme that as elderly people face an “increased risk” from the coronavirus they should take good care of their “hand washing and respiratory hygiene”. She also stated that social and behavioural interventions were important factors in protecting against COVID-19. Dr Jenny Harries added that the timing of these interventions will be “critical” in battling the pandemic at its peak.

Dr Harries said: “There are three different things, number one yes elderly people are at increased risk, we have seen that recently.

“Sadly there have been deaths across the world and they are focussed very much on elderly people and people with underline chronic conditions.

“I think we and they should be taking good care of themselves and we can do that by very simple things like hand washing and respiratory hygiene.

“In terms of social and behavioural interventions, we are still looking at the science behind those.

“The reason we are doing that is because it is really important that even when there is evidence that these interventions work they need to be balanced.

“We are not trying to disrupt people’s lives unnecessarily.

“Critically they need to be started and ended at a point when they will have the most effect on the pandemic peak.”

Yesterday the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser explained why elderly people are more likely to “suffer” from the COVID-19 coronavirus during an interview onthe Today Programme.

Sir Patrick Vallance said: “Older people are vulnerable to all sorts of illnesses more than younger people so it is a bit of aging which makes you vulnerable.

“There is definitely a situation where if you do have other co-existing illnesses you are more likely to suffer from this in terms of mobility and mortality.

“So the death rate in this disease changes quite rapidly from essentially zero in children, up to eight or so percent in people over the age of 80.

“There is quite a steep increase after the age of about 60 and a much more steeper increase in people with co-existing illnesses.”

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The United Kingdom currently has the 11th highest amount of coronavirus cases in the world. 

Of the 164 cases in Britain at the time of writing 144 are still active. 

A total of 18 people have recovered from the COVID-19 virus in the UK. 

There has been two confirmed deaths as a result of the virus in Britain. 

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