The coronavirus outbreak forced Croydon resident Hugo to shield himself. Hugos son had been doing his shopping for him but when he contracted Covid-19 Hugo found himself confined to his home with no means of accessing food.

Thankfully, people like Scott and Michael from the British Red Cross independent living team began making weekly food deliveries to Hugo a lifeline during his time of need.

Since the coronavirus outbreak started in China, the British Red Cross has closely been monitoring the global and national situation.

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In the UK, we are continuing to support the NHS, where we help in 100 hospitals to get people discharged home safely, and support in 25 A&E departments. Were also working to increase support to vulnerable people in our communities, whether though our existing services, or providing additional help to some local charities.

We are doing telephone welfare checks on vulnerable people we work with, arranging deliveries of food and medicine. Some of our community reserve volunteers have been helping at local food banks and distributing information.

We were also part of the NHS and Public Health England response at isolation units at Arrowe Park Hospital, on the Wirral, and Heathrow Airport. We are talking to partners in the UK about any additional support we might be able to offer in the coming days and weeks.

We are also calling on the public to get involved in different ways from sharing your kindness through much needed donations, to signing up to be a British Red Cross community reserve volunteer, if you're safe and well.

These volunteers are on standby for whenever an emergency hits their local area. We are working now with national and local organisations on how to make the biggest impact for people.

The British Red Cross are also supporting the international aid response. We have sent aid workers including experts in logistics, information and communications to Beirut, Beijing and Geneva.

Overseas the IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent) has been responding to the coronavirus by transporting patients to hospitals and providing psychosocial support to people in quarantine. It will also help support Red Cross National Societies in developing countries, who may not have the health care systems to cope, to prepare for coronavirus cases, through public health messaging. The British Red Cross is sending funds to the global IFRC response to the coronavirus.