PUBLIC health officials are facing a potential contact tracing nightmare after it emerged that someone infected with the coronavirus attended a conference with delegates from across the country - including a Bradford district MP.

Alex Sobel, the MP for Leeds North West, said he had attended the summit. Mr Sobel said he had been informed he was “very low risk” but had cancelled engagements until next Thursday as a precaution and was waiting to be assessed. 

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A spokesman for Mr Sobel said the MP was not unwell and had no symptoms, but had decided to self-isolate at home until next week as a precaution.

A huge operation has swung into operation in a bid to trace anyone the infected person may have come into contact with.

The person, who has not been named, attended the UK Bus Summit at the QEII Centre in Westminster on February 6.

Transport Times, the conference organiser, emailed attendees on Thursday afternoon informing them that a person confirmed to be suffering from coronavirus illness - also known as Covid-19 - had been at the event.

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Dr Yimmy Chow, consultant in health protection at Public Health England (PHE), said: "One of our main priorities has been to identify any people who we think have been in close contact with confirmed cases of Covid-19 to provide public health advice, as they may be at slightly increased risk of catching the virus.

"While the degree of contact conference delegates may have had with the case is unlikely to have been significant, we have taken a precautionary approach and informed them of the situation."

The PA news agency understands that the case is not linked to the ninth patient with coronavirus in the UK - a woman from China.

The Transport Times email enclosed a letter from PHE saying delegates should take no action if they were well but to stay indoors, avoid contact with others and call NHS 111 if they developed symptoms such as a fever or cough.

"While the degree of contact you may have had with the case at the summit is unlikely to have been significant, we are taking a precautionary approach and informing you," the letter said, as reported by the Financial Times.

The bus conference listed about 250 delegates from the nationwide bus and transport industry.

Among the speakers listed were buses minister, Baroness Vere, the parliamentary under secretary of state transport, Nusrat Ghani, and various managing directors of bus firms.

It comes after a coronavirus expert warned that the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories could lead to more cases in the UK.

Professor Paul Hunter, of the University of East Anglia's (UEA) Norwich Medical School, said fake news leads to bad advice and people taking "greater risks" during health crises.

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said on Thursday that many more people in the UK may need to self-isolate to contain the illness, which has been officially named Covid-19.

Also on Thursday, more than 80 people quarantined at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral were allowed to leave following 14 days in isolation, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirming they pose "no risk to the public".

Prof Hunter, who has previously run tests on the impact of fake news on disease outbreaks with colleague Julii Brainard, said speculation was already rife online about the origin of the virus and how it can be spread.

He said: "Misinformation means that bad advice can circulate very quickly - and it can change human behaviour to take greater risks."

He added: "Examples of risky behaviour during infectious disease outbreaks include not washing hands, sharing food with ill people, not disinfecting potentially contaminated surfaces, and failing to self-isolate.

"Worryingly, people are more likely to share bad advice on social media, than good advice from trusted sources such as the NHS, Public Health England or the World Health Organisation."

Suspected cases of coronavirus are still being tested, including one mother who told the Sun that her baby son had come into contact with an infected doctor while being treated for a leg injury at Worthing Hospital.

Stephanie Adlan, 28, said she was "terrified" for eight-month-old James and has self-isolated with her family but criticised medics at the hospital for a lack of information.

She told the paper: "I've had nothing from the hospital. Not a 'How are you?' or 'What's going on?' 'How's the baby?' We've just been told to stay indoors and call 111 if our symptoms get worse."

It comes as it emerged that the woman who is the UK's ninth case of coronavirus took an Uber to A&E after she developed symptoms.

The unnamed woman, who is being treated at a specialist NHS centre at Guy's and St Thomas' in central London, contracted the virus in China before flying to the UK.

Two staff from Lewisham Hospital in south London are now in isolation at home after coming into contact with the woman.

The Department of Health said on Thursday that 2,521 people in the UK have been tested, of whom 2,512 were confirmed negative and nine positive.

In China, the number of deaths from coronavirus has reached 1,380, with more than 63,000 recorded infections, in figures announced early on Friday morning.

A total of 44 more people on quarantined cruise ship the Diamond Princess in Japan have tested positive for Covid-19. Two of those are Britons, taking the number of Britons on the ship diagnosed with coronavirus to three.

WERE YOU at the bus summit? Contact the T&A newsdesk on 01274 705292.