London, March 13 There were probably between 5,000 and 10,000 people infected with the novel coronavirus in the UK at this time, the government's chief scientific adviser said, adding that the 590 confirmed cases in the country could be "just the tip of the iceberg".
"Currently we are on a trajectory that looks as though it is about four weeks or so behind Italy and some other countries in Europe," The Sun newspaper quoted Patrick Vallance as saying on Thursday.
"There are currently 590 cases that have been identified in the UK and there are more than 20 patients in intensive care units.
"If you calculate what that really means in terms of the total number, it is much more likely that we have between 5,000 and 10,000 people infected at the moment. That is still a relatively small number," he added.
Also speaking after an emergency meeting on Thursday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the number of cases in the UK was expected to rise sharply, warning the peak was still weeks away.
He announced the government has moved to the second stage of a four-part plan to tackle the outbreak in the country.
The "delay" phase means steps will now be taken to slow the spread of the deadly bug, to reduce the number of people who fall ill, The Sun newspaper reported.
The Prime Minister said coronavirus was the "worst public health crisis for a generation" as he set out new measures that could cause "severe disruption for many months".
He said anyone with symptoms, however mild, including a continuous cough or high temperature, should now stay at home and self-isolate for seven days.
On Thursday, official figures showed that the UK cases have exploded, reaching 590 - up from 456 on Wednesday. With 134 new infections reported, it marks the sharpest rise in cases recorded so far.
So far, 10n people in the UK have lost their lives.
( With inputs from IANS )