Prince William jokes about unwittingly 'spreading' coronavirus as he meets well-wishers on Irish tour

The Duke of Cambridge has joked about unwittingly "spreading" coronavirus while meeting well-wishers during a tour of Ireland Irish tour.

William poked fun at himself after he questioned a paramedic about whether he thought coverage of the illness was being “hyped up” by the media.

He talked about the infection as he chatted to emergency workers alongside the Duchess of Cambridge at a reception hosted by Britain's Ambassador to Ireland Robin Barnett in the Gravity Bar at Dublin's Guinness Storehouse.​

The duke asked Joe Mooney, an advance paramedic with the National Ambulance Service: "I bet everyone's like 'I've got coronavirus, I'm dying', and you're like 'no, you've just got a cough'.

"Does it seem quite dramatic about coronavirus at the moment? Is it being a little bit hyped up do you think in the media?"

Later he grimaced with mock horror as he said: "By the way, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spreading coronavirus, Sorry… We're keeping an eye on that, so do tell us if we need to stop."

The duke's comments came as it emerged he and Kate are taking advice on the coronavirus threat, but will continue meeting people as usual.

The couple shook hands with dozens of people on the first day of their tour and are expected to continue to do so, based on advice they are being given.

A royal source said on Tuesday night that the couple were following guidance from Public Health England and the Department of Health and that meant "business as usual" for now.

"This is a discussion we have been having and everything we are doing should continue as usual," said the source.

Earlier, the Queen wore gloves to present honours during an investiture ceremony, but Buckingham Palace declined to confirm whether the monarch was taking the precaution because of the outbreak.

William and Kate enjoyed a pint of Guinness at the Storehouse - a major visitor attraction which tells the story of the famous drink - with the duke toasting his hosts in Gaelic, raising his pint and saying "Slainte".

He also addressed the guests from the worlds of sport, film, television and the armed forces in Irish, calling them "dhaoine uaisle" - "Ladies and Gentlemen".

"Catherine and I are delighted to be here tonight and are both very grateful to Robin for his generous words," said the duke.

"Ireland is a country that we have both heard so much about, so we are really excited to be here with you to see it first-hand for ourselves.

"In coming to the Guinness Storehouse, we are retracing the footsteps of my grandmother, who was shown how to pour the perfect pint here in 2011.

"Ladies and Gentlemen let me tell you it is not often that I find myself following the Queen to a pub. But I am looking forward to testing for myself the theory that Guinness tastes even better in Ireland than overseas."