THE FIRST case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wales was confirmed this morning.

The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Frank Atherton, said a patient in Wales had tested positive after returning from northern Italy.

This is everything we know

- Where is the patient from?

The patient is understood to be from the Swansea area, though Public Health Wales have not confirmed this.

- Where are they being treated?

Dr Atherton said the patient had been diagnosed in Wales, but is being treated in England.

There are currently four centres treating patients with the coronavirus across the border.

He said the patient was being treated “in the NHS system”.

-How did the patient contract coronavirus?

Dr Atherton said the patient had travelled back from northern Italy – where they are thought to have contracted the virus.

He told the PA news agency: "It's an individual case so there's a lot we can't say due to patient confidentiality but it is a patient who had travelled and was holidaying in Italy and who came back and became unwell.

"They undertook an assessment and took some swabs and the swabs proved to be positive yesterday, late evening."

Italy has been Europe’s worst-affected countries, with positive cases soaring to over 400 in the past week.

Italy has put 11 towns in Lombardy and Veneto – in the north of the country – into lockdown.

The towns affected:

Lombardy: Codogno, Castiglione d’Adda, Casalpusterlengo, Fombio, Maleo, Somaglia, Bertonico, Terranova dei Passerini, Castelgerundo and San Fiorano

Veneto: Vo’ Euganeo

The government has said any Britons returning from those towns should self-isolate.

- What should I do?

If you have returned from the following areas since 19 February:

• Iran

• Specific lockdown areas in Northern Italy as designated by the Government of Italy

• Special care zones in South Korea as designated by the Government of the Republic of South Korea

You should immediately:

Stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu.

Phone NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 or phone 111 if available in your area (Hywel Dda, Powys, Aneurin Bevan and Swansea Bay).

If you think you may have the coronavirus:

The latest advice if there's a chance you could have coronavirus is to call NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 or 111 Wales and isolate yourself from other people, say the NHS.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of coronavirus are:

• a cough

• a high temperature

• shortness of breath

But these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have the illness.

The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu.

How many cases are there?

In the UK, there are 19 confirmed cases of coronavirus. 

Over 200 people have been tested in Wales - including a mother and daughter from Newport - but only one person has produced a positive result.

Globally, 30 countries have been affected; infecting more than 83,00 people and killing more than 2,800.

What has the government said?

Vaughan Gething, Minister for Health and Social Services said: "We will continue to do all we can to detect imported cases early and isolate them to avoid any further spread.

“I would like to thank all staff who have been working so hard to prepare our response to this public health incident.

"This latest development is expected and people should continue to follow our advice - anyone who has travelled back from an affected area or who has concerns that they are a close contact of a confirmed case should not attend their GP practice or present at hospital Emergency Departments.

"People should call NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 or 111 Wales, if available in their area. Doing this will mean they get assessed by the right NHS staff whilst also limiting any possible spread to others.

"Everyone can help to lessen the chances of spreading any respiratory virus. The advice is to catch it, bin it, kill it and wash your hands."