THE patient diagnosed with coronavirus is said to be a "middle-aged British man”.

The man, who is said to have fallen ill in Brighton, is believed to be in his 40s or 50s, and flew in the country from Singapore.

He is the UK's third confirmed UK case of the killer virus. 

>> SEE LIVE UPDATES HERE

It is further reported the patient was rushed to a specialist infectious diseases unit at Guy's Hospital in central London this morning.

The case was confirmed in a statement from the Chief Medical Officer for England at about 1.30pm today.

The Department of Health and Social Care would not confirm the person was from Brighton because of “patient confidentially”. 

However, it said that Public Heath England (PHE), its executive agency, was “well equipped” to deal with the situation. 

Asked to release further information as it could lead to other potential cases coming forward, it said PHE was currently working to track down those who had come into contact with the patient.

There are unconfirmed reports the man walked into the Royal Sussex County Hospital on Sunday.