9 new coronavirus cases in Lothians region as Scottish total jumps to 85

Nine new positive coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the latest figures released by the Scottish Government, as the national total rises to 85.

NHS Lothian now has 20 positive cases following a Scottish Government update on Friday afternoon.

A total of 3,229 tests in Scotland have come back negative.

The latest figures come after numerous Edinburgh companies took the decision to send staff home on Friday to try and halt the virus spreading.

More than 1,000 employees were sent home after Aegon's Edinburgh office shut down after a positive COVID-19 test earlier today.

13 Wetherspoon staff in the Capital are now also self-isolating following the news a pub manager who 'returned from Italy' is being tested for the virus.

Lloyds Bank’s Citymark office in Edinburgh has also been shut.

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What are the coronavirus symptoms - and how long they take to develop

Coronavirus symptoms

Coronavirus is a respiratory disease which seems to start with a fever, followed by a dry cough. After a week it leads to shortness of breath and some patients require hospital treatment.

In more severe cases, coronavirus can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, multiple organ failure and even death.

Those with weakened immune systems - older people and those with underlying health conditions like asthma or heart disease - are more likely to become severely ill.

The World Health Organisation says the incubation period lasts up to 14 days.

As it's a new illness, it is unclear how exactly coronavirus spreads from person to person, but similar viruses are spread by droplets in coughs and sneezes.

Protecting yourself against coronavirus

The Scottish Government website offers the following advice from NHS Inform to help reduce the risk of getting and spreading respiratory infections by:

- Avoiding direct hand contact with your eyes, nose and mouth.

- Maintaining good hand hygiene - washing hands with soap and water or alcohol sanitiser: After coughing or sneezing; going to toilet; before eating and drinking.

- Avoiding direct contact with people that have respiratory illness and avoid using their personal items such as mobile phones.

- Covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing with disposable tissues and disposing of them in the nearest waste bin after use.

Anyone who thinks they may be affected by coronavirus should call the NHS 111 phone service for further advice. They should not go to their GP or to A&E.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, there have been more than 118,000 cases of coronavirus worldwide with over 4,200 deaths.

The outbreak originated in China's Hubei province in December before spreading globally.

Updated figures for Scotland