Fears are growing that the coronavirus outbreak could become a pandemic as new cases are reported around the world.
Most infections are in China but other countries including South Korea, Italy, and Iran are battling to contain the virus, which causes the respiratory disease Covid-19.
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A pandemic is declared when an infectious disease threatens different parts of the world simultaneously.
No vaccine is available so far to prevent the new coronavirus.
About 77,000 people in China, where the virus emerged last year, have been infected and nearly 2,600 have died.
More than 1,200 cases have been confirmed in 26 other countries and there have been more than 20 deaths. Italy reported its fourth death on Monday.
The proportion of infected patients dying from Covid-19 appears to be between 1% and 2%, although the World Health Organization cautioned that the mortality rate is not known yet.
On Monday, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Bahrain reported their first cases, all involving people who had come from Iran.
