What we know about the coronavirus that has killed 106 people to date

Published Jan 28, 2020

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The coronavirus outbreak that began in

the central Chinese city of Wuhan, in the province of Hubei, has

killed 106 people in China so far and infected more than 4 520

globally, most of them in China.

The virus has caused alarm because it is still too early to

know how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between

people. Also because it is new, humans have not been able to

build immunity to it.

Here is what we know so far:

* As of January 27 the death toll in China had risen to 106,

with 100

in Hubei province, authorities reported. Another 4,515 people in

China had been infected. There were 2,714 confirmed cases in

Hubei province, up from 1,423 on Jan. 26.

* Thailand and Hong Kong have each reported eight cases of

infection; the United States, Australia, Taiwan, Singapore and

Macau have five each; Japan, South Korea and Malaysia each have

reported four; France three; Vietnam and Canada two each, and

one each in Germany, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

* No fatalities have been reported outside China.

* The previously unknown coronavirus strain is believed to

have

emerged late last year from illegally traded wildlife at an

animal market in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people.

A medical worker demonstrates how to correctly use masks for prevention in Wuying, a village on the border of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Picture: Huang Xiaoban/Xinhua

* Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Wuhan on Monday in an

apparent effort to boost morale in the city as Beijing moved to

display its intent to tackle the crisis seriously.

* The World Health Organisation said that while the outbreak

was

an emergency for China, it was not yet a global health

emergency.

* Severe travel restrictions have been put in place in

several

Chinese cities. In Wuhan, urban transport is shut and outgoing

flights suspended.

* Tangshan, China's largest steelmaking city in northern

Hebei

province, suspended all public transit within the city.

* Beijing suspended most bus services to Hebei province.

* Among other measures to contain the virus, China halted

all

group tours, affecting tourism both at home and to other

countries, from Jan. 27.

* China's Tibet Autonomous Region has temporarily closed all

tourist sites to prevent the virus spreading.

* The United States warned against travel to China, while

Canada

issued a warning against travel to Hubei province.

A medical worker in protective suit checks the body temperature of car passenger at a checkpoint outside the city of Yueyang. Picture: Thomas Peter/Reuters

* Asian stocks extended a global selloff on Tuesday as China

took

more drastic steps to combat the virus, raising concerns about a

drag on global economic growth.

* South Korea said it was going "all out" to contain the

outbreak

and vowed to stabilise financial markets should volatility

worsen.

* Countries including France, Italy, Japan, Australia and

the

United States are working to evacuate citizens from Wuhan.

* Some experts believe the virus is not as dangerous as the

2002-03 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that killed

nearly 800 people, or the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

(MERS), which has killed more than 700 people since 2012.

Reuters

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