COUNTRIES have started to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan, the Chinese city hardest-hit by coronavirus, which has now infected more people in China than SARS.
The number of confirmed cases jumped to 5,974, surpassing the 5,327 in mainland China during the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003.
Chartered planes carrying evacuees home to Japan and the US left Wuhan early on Wednesday as other countries planned similar evacuations from areas China has shut down to try to contain the virus.
Australia and New Zealand were the latest countries planning evacuations.
Its symptoms, including cough and fever and in severe cases pneumonia, are similar to other illnesses.
British Airways announced it was immediately suspending all flights to and from mainland China after the UK Government warned against unnecessary travel to the country.
The lockdown of 17 cities has trapped more than 50 million people in the most far-reaching disease control measures ever imposed.
Several countries have confirmed cases of the virus, with most of them being Chinese visitors, people who visited Wuhan or family members in close contact to the sick.
Wuhan is building two hospitals in a matter of days to add 2,500 beds for treatment of patients with the virus.
The full extent of the virus spread is unknown, with scientists saying there are still many critical questions to be answered.
However, the World Health Organization said most cases “have been milder, with 20% of those infected experiencing severe illness.”
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