Jodie Whittaker as Doctor Who asks fans to be kind to each other and listen to science

Jodie Whittaker channelled her "Doctor Who" character to spread awareness among her fans on how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

In an "emergency transmission", Whittaker, who plays the 13th Doctor on the long-running BBC series, asked people to not lose hope as everything will be alright soon.

"If you're seeing this, the Tardis must have detected an upsurge in psychological signals from somewhere in space and time. Basically, I think somebody, somewhere, might be a little bit worried. I'm actually just self-isolating, or as I like to call it, hiding, from an army of Sontarans. But keep that to yourself," Whittaker began in a video posted to social media on Wednesday.

The 37-year-old actor then offered a five-step plan to deal with "any worrying situation".

"One, remember, you'll get through this, and things will be alright. Even if they look uncertain, even if you're worried, darkness never prevails. Two, tell jokes, even bad ones. Especially bad ones. I'm brilliant at bad ones.

"Three, be kind. Even kinder than you were yesterday, and I know you were super kind yesterday. Talking will help, sharing will help... Look out for your friends, your neighbours, people you hardly know, and family... 'cause in the end, we're all family," Whittaker said.

The actor said people should listen to doctors' guidelines in the current situation.

"Four, listen to science, and listen to doctors, right? They've got your back. Five, stay strong, stay positive. You've got this, and I will see you, very soon," Whittaker concluded the video.