The coronavirus could be spreading through petrol pumps, according to reported claims by a senior nurse.
It is claimed the medic, understood to be from Queen Elizabeth Hospital, urged motorists to start wearing gloves.
It comes as COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc around the world since it broke out in Wuhan, China, at the end of last year.
A reporter from the Daily Mail tweeted: "A senior nurse at the Queen Elizabeth believes the virus is spreading rapidly through people using petrol pumps.
"She asks that if you need to fill your car up use gloves or a paper towel and then bin them. Please pass this on."
The NHS has not specifically warned people about using petrol pumps, and it is not yet known how long the disease would last on such a surface.
Health and Safety Executive has also denied any guidelines have been issued on petrol pumps.
But it comes as the NHS continues to urge the public to self-isolate as the virus continues to spread, with Brits told to work from home if they can.
Today, the death toll in the UK reached 233 while the number of cases has surpassed 5,000.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who dramatically ordered restaurants and pubs to shut this week, warned the NHS could become "overwhelmed".
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He said: "Unless we act together, unless we make the heroic and collective national effort to slow the spread – then it is all too likely that our own NHS will be similarly overwhelmed.
"The Italians have a superb health-care system. And yet their doctors and nurses have been completely overwhelmed by the demand.
He also urged people to avoid seeing their mums on Mother's Day on Sunday.
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Johnson continued: "The single best present that we can give … is to spare them the risk of catching a very dangerous disease."
Earlier this week he also ordered theatres, cinemas and gyms to shut.
Daily Star Online has approached the NHS for comment on claims the virus could be spreading through petrol pumps.
- Coronavirus
- NHS
- Queen
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