AN ENGLISH teacher has said he is "livid" after being told he would have to leave his wife in Wuhan to escape the coronavirus hit city.

Nick House from Sussex said the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) had informed him that he and his two children would be evacuated if they left his Indonesian wife, Rika, behind, The Telegraph reported.

Not all family members have British nationality.

He told the publication: "I don't want to split my family up

"We were told that (there) is a flight and people need to be at the airport at 5am tomorrow morning (with) 15 kg luggage only.

"They said we could go to the airport but probably wouldn't be able to get my wife on the plane as she doesn't have a valid visa right now. 

"I asked them, can't you issue an emergency one?

"But they had no empathy."

The FCO told The Telegraph the situation is "complex" and it could not comment on individual cases.

It said: "The safety of British nationals is our top priority and we have been in close contact with British nationals and their family members who might need help."

Coronavirus is a family of pathogens that cause respiratory illness in birds and mammals, but it has now jumped species and infected humans.

Several countries have introduced evacuation and quarantine plans after an outbreak of the illness in Wuhan, China.

Chinese health authorities said there were 7,711 confirmed cases in the country as of January 29 with infections having also spread to at least 15 other countries.

There are currently at least 170 people known to have died from the virus.