The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global health emergency over a new coronavirus that has killed more than 2,800 people worldwide following an outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. More than 83,000 cases of infection have been reported globally, most of them in mainland China. The novel coronavirus is affecting 57 countries and territories around the world.
According to the WHO, coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). These viruses were originally transmitted between animals and people. The novel coronavirus, identified by Chinese authorities on January 7 and since named COVID-19, is a new strain that had not been previously identified in humans. Little is known about it, although human-to-human transmission has been confirmed.
Signs of infection include fever, cough, and shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, multiple organ failure and even death. Current estimates of the incubation period range from one to 14 days. Most infected people show symptoms within five to six days. However, infected patients can also be asymptomatic.
SARS killed about nine percent of those it infected - nearly 800 people worldwide and more than 300 in China alone. While the new coronavirus is more widespread in China than SARS in terms of case numbers, the mortality rate remains considerably lower at approximately two percent, according to the WHO.
Scientists around the globe are racing to develop a vaccine but have warned that one is unlikely to be available for mass distribution before 2021. Meanwhile, Chinese authorities have effectively sealed off Wuhan and placed restrictions on travel to and from several other cities, affecting some 60 million people. Many international airlines have cancelled flights to China. Some countries have banned Chinese nationals from entering their territories and several more have evacuated their citizens from Wuhan.
