SALES of hand sanitiser in supermarkets more than tripled last month as worried customers flocked to protect themselves from coronavirus.

Sales soared by 255 per cent during February, according to new data from Kantar Worldpanel.

Meanwhile, liquid soap sales increased seven per cent and household cleaning products rose 10 per cent.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: "Given the media focus around the outbreak of Covid-19 in February, it's unsurprising to see shoppers prudently protecting themselves from illness."

However, it was just part of an overall upward trend, with supermarket sales increasing by 0.7 per cent in the 12 weeks to February 23 - the fastest increase since November last year.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that for "most people who catch this virus, it's relatively mild, and a bad cough".

He said the number of home ventilation kits are being expanded and that "the NHS, I am sure, will rise to the challenge" of dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.

On whether the NHS would be able to cope if the virus reaches pandemic level, he told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "A lot of people, not least because it is mild, will be best off at home than in hospital so we are expanding the number of home ventilation kits that are available so that can be done.

"The NHS, of course, has a full plan for this and prepares for this even when there isn't an outbreak.

"Inevitably in the case of this becoming widespread of course there will be much more pressure on the NHS, but the NHS is prepared for this sort of challenge."