A new strain of coronavirus (officially named COVID-19), which has caused respiratory diseases in China, and spread to 24 other countries, has been declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO). Here are some basic facts you need to know about the virus.
Hundreds have now died from the COVID-19 virus, which first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. Tens of thousands of cases have been confirmed in China, and experts say they expect the numbers to rise further.
Although the vast majority of cases have been in China, the virus, which can cause pneumonia, is worrying global health authorities. Dozens of cases have been confirmed in 24 countries, and two deaths have been recorded outside of China (in Japan and the Philippines). Most of those affected by the virus had travelled from Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.
This is only the fifth time that the World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency of international concern.
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