Report: Coronavirus infection rate overtakes that of SARS in 2003

PETALING JAYA (Jan 31): With the global infection cases of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) now closing in on the 10,000 mark, this means that it has surpassed the “total number of cases in the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) pandemic in 2003”, reported The Star today.

Using information taken from the online dashboard of Johns Hopkins University's Centre for Systems Science and Engineering, the latest info shows that there is “a total of 9,776 cases and 213 deaths of the coronavirus 2019-nCoV as at 11am (Malaysia time) Friday (Jan 31)”.

SARS infected 8,096 people and led to a death toll of 774.

Novel coronavirus has now been detected in 19 countries, with the latest being in India.

A student from the southern state of Kerala studying at China's Wuhan University was tested positive for the coronavirus.

"The patient has been tested positive for novel coronavirus and is in isolation in the hospital. The patient is stable and is being closely monitored," India's Health Ministry said on Thursday.

There are now eight cases in Malaysia.

Earlier today, a World Health Organisation’s (WHO) emergency panel declared the deadly coronavirus an emergency of international concern.

The announcement was made by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the United Nations (UN) health agency’s headquarters in Geneva following the meeting of the agency’s Emergency Committee.

Didier Houssin, the chairman of the WHO Emergency Committee, told the media despite being split on whether to declare the international emergency last week, the decision today was “nearly unanimous”.