A total of 9,822 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) were reported in China and other countries by Friday morning, with the death toll standing at 213.
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Of the total number, 9,720 were reported in China, with 213 dead and 179 recovered. There are 102 confirmed cases outside of China.
Thailand and Japan have 14 each, while Singapore has 13. There are also a handful of cases in Australia, Malaysia, France, and the United States. And Italy has confirmed its first two cases.
Authorities around the world have been offering up conflicting messages even as they sought to calm panic buying of masks seen as a guard against coronavirus. Some experts said the wrong handling of masks could even increase infection risk of the epidemic.
In Singapore, for instance, the government has taken out a special insert in the main newspaper saying, "do not wear a mask if you are well."
Authorities around the world have been offering up conflicting messages even as they sought to calm panic buying of masks seen as a guard against coronavirus. Some experts said that the wrong handling of masks could even increase the infection risk of the epidemic.
In Singapore, for instance, the government has taken out a special insert in the main newspaper saying, "do not wear a mask if you are well."
Official guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO) makes no mention of wearing a face mask as a preventative measure against the virus.
Coronavirus can be transmitted from person to person, although it is not clear how easily. Most cases have been in people who have been in Wuhan, family members of those infected, or medical workers.
On Thursday, the European Commission (EC) indicated that the Horizon 2020 Research & Innovation Program will allocate ten million euros to research projects that allow a better understanding of the coronavirus and "contribute to a more efficient clinical management of infected patients."
According to what is known so far, the transmission of the coronavirus pneumonia is likely through contact with an infected person via particles in the air from coughing or sneezing, or by someone touching an infected person or object with the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes.