A Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-like virus has claimed 26 lives since emerging on December 31 in a market in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
Here is a list of countries that have confirmed cases of the so-called coronavirus.
China
As of Friday, more than 800 people have been infected across China, with 177 in serious condition. Authorities were also examining 1,072 suspected case.
Officials also confirmed the second virus death outside the Wuhan region, saying a patient died in Heilongjiang province, 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) to the northeast.
The city of Macau, a gambling hub hugely popular with mainland tourists, has confirmed two cases. The first was a 52-year-old businesswoman from Wuhan who arrived in Macau by high-speed rail on Sunday, via the neighbouring city of Zhuhai.
As of Thursday, two people have tested positive in Hong Kong. Both had visited Wuhan in recent days and are being treated in isolation wards in the hospital.
Japan
Japan’s health authorities confirmed a second case on Friday, Kyodo news agency reported, saying the patient was a man in his 40s who was originally from Wuhan and on a trip to Japan.
On January 16, Japan’s health ministry said they had its first case — a man who had visited Wuhan and was hospitalised on January 10, four days after his return to Japan.
Singapore
Singapore on Friday announced two more confirmed cases of the new SARS-like virus, bringing the total number to three.
The health ministry confirmed the first case Thursday — a 66-year-old man who arrived from Wuhan with his 37-year-old son, who also tested positive for the coronavirus.
Both had arrived in Singapore on Monday.
The third confirmed case is a 52-year-old Wuhan woman, who arrived in the city-state on Tuesday and was admitted to hospital the following day.
South Korea
South Korea confirmed on Friday its second case of the virus.
The health ministry said a South Korean man in his 50s started experiencing symptoms while working in Wuhan on Jan 10. He was tested his return earlier this week, and the virus was confirmed.
The country reported its first case on January 20 — a 35-year-old woman who flew in from Wuhan.
Taiwan
On January 22, authorities confirmed the first case on the self-ruled island of Taiwan — a Taiwanese woman in her fifties, living in Wuhan, who returned to the island on Monday with symptoms including fever, coughing and a sore throat.
Thailand
Thailand has detected four cases so far — three Chinese nationals from Wuhan and a 73-year-old Thai woman who came back from the Chinese city this month.
Two of the Chinese patients were treated, cured and have travelled back to their country, the Thai health ministry said this week.
United States
On January 21, the United States announced its first case — a man in his 30s living near Seattle. Officials say he is in a good condition and approached authorities himself after reading about the virus in news reports.
Vietnam
Vietnam confirmed two cases of the virus on Thursday. An infected man from Wuhan travelled to Ho Chi Minh City earlier this month and passed the virus onto his son.
Both are being treated hospital and are stable, Vietnam health officials said.
Meanwhile, China has rushed to build new hospital within 10 days to treat patients at the epicentre of the deadly virus outbreak that has stricken hundreds of people.
The state media reported on riday that the facility in the central city of Wuhan is expected to be in use by February 3 to serve a rising number of patients infected by the virus that has left at least 26 people dead and millions on lockdown in an effort to curb the spread.
Dozens of excavators and trucks were filmed working on the site by state broadcaster CCTV.
It will have a capacity of 1,000 beds spread over 25,000 square metres, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Construction began as reports surfaced of bed shortages in hospitals designated as dealing with the outbreak, which has now infected 830 people across China.
Xinhua said the new facility is aimed at “alleviating the shortage of medical treatment resources and improving the ability to care for patients.”
In 2003, China erected a hospital on Beijing’s rural outskirts in barely a week to cater to a rapidly rising number of patients suffering from SARS, which killed 349 people in mainland China and 299 in Hong Kong in 2002-2003.
Xiaotangshan Hospital consisted of prefabricated structures and Xinhua reported Friday that Wuhan was building the new facility based on the same model.
The city of over 11 million people has been centralising its treatment of the new virus by isolating patients in 61 clinics and designated hospitals.
Chinese officials have said the virus likely originated from wild animals at a seafood market in the city but it has since spread to several countries around Asia and beyond.
The outbreak has prompted authorities in at least eight Chinese cities to impose travel restrictions and cancel public events to curb the spread.
With AFP report
