MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2020) As the number of those infected by the novel coronavirus climbs to nearly 10,000 people in China, over 20 countries across the world have already reported cases of both imported and person-to-person spread of the deadly virus.
The previously unknown type of the virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late December, but later spread to other major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Macao and Hong Kong. As of Friday, over 9,800 infection cases and 213 deaths have been confirmed in China.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern over the outbreak.
The epidemic continues to spread beyond mainland China, but no deaths from the virus have been reported in other nations so far.
There is no information on the exact overall number of foreign nationals infected with novel coronavirus in China, but Chen Zhusheng, deputy director of Guangdong Health Commission, said on Wednesday that three foreign nationals � two Australians and one Pakistani � have been confirmed to be infected in the Guangdong province.
According to Chen, the Pakistani patient is a student from a university in Wuhan. He traveled to Shenzhen on January 21 and arrived in Guangzhou three days later. He exhibited symptoms on January 26 and was quarantined after visiting a hospital.
Meanwhile, Zafar Mirza, the Pakistani prime minister's special assistant on health, said that four Pakistani students of different universities in Wuhan had been confirmed to have contracted the virus.
According to the Australian health authorities, nine cases of novel coronavirus have been confirmed so far: two Chinese nationals in Queensland; two Chinese visitors and one local resident, who had traveled to Wuhan, in Victoria; and four more cases in New South Wales.
The Cambodian authorities confirmed the first case of novel coronavirus on Monday. The infection was found in a 60-year-old Chinese citizen from Wuhan, who traveled with his family to Cambodia on January 23, according to Cambodian VOD media outlet.
Three cases have been confirmed so far in Canada. According to the Canadian government, two cases were reported in Ontario � a married couple � and one in British Columbia. The male from Ontario and the male in British Columbia both had a history of traveling to Wuhan 14 days before testing positive for the virus.
Finland's first coronavirus was confirmed in the Lapland region, the nation's popular tourist destination in winter. The patient is a 32-year-old Chinese tourist from Wuhan.
France has registered six cases of the new coronavirus in the country, according to the nation's government. Most cases are people who have traveled from China, but the latest case is a doctor who treated a Chinese patient suffering from the illness.
Seven people, including one child, have been confirmed to be infected with novel coronavirus in the German state of Bavaria, according to the local health authority. All of the infected adults are employed by the car parts company, Webasto. They reportedly fell ill after a visit by a colleague from China last week, who learned about her condition on the flight back.
India's first case of coronavirus was confirmed in the Kerala state on Thursday. The patient is a student at Wuhan University, according to the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The Italian authorities reported the country's two first cases of coronavirus on Friday. A Chinese couple from the Hubei province who was traveling in Italy accounts for the two. They were hospitalized in the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome. Twelve more Chinese citizens exhibiting similar symptoms were hospitalized in the same institution and are being tested for the coronavirus, according to local health officials.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has reached 17 in Japan so far, according to the data of the country's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The two latest cases are Japanese citizens, who were repatriated from Wuhan.
The Malaysian authorities have confirmed eight cases of coronavirus in the country so far, and all of them are Chinese nationals, Malaysia's Star media outlet reported, citing the nation's Health Ministry.
Nepal reported its first and so far only case of novel coronavirus last week. According to the Kathmandu Post, the patient is a Nepali student, who recently returned from Wuhan.
The Philippines confirmed its first coronavirus case on Thursday. According to the GMA news outlet, citing local health authorities, the patient is an asymptomatic 38-year-old woman from Wuhan, who traveled to the Philippines earlier in the month.
Russia confirmed its two first cases in Siberia on Friday. According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, both are Chinese nationals.
The number of people infected by the coronavirus in Singapore reached 16 on Friday, according to the country's Ministry of Health.
The majority of cases are Chinese visitors, but the 15th case is a female Singaporean citizen, who traveled to Wuhan and was evacuated from the epidemic-hit city on Thursday.
In South Korea, the number of those who contracted the virus reached 11 as of Friday, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While more details are yet to be revealed regarding the latest cases, the majority of those who have contracted the decease are South Korean nationals who either traveled to Wuhan or contacted people that recently returned from the epidemic-hit city.
Sri Lanka has so far confirmed only one case of coronavirus, according to local media, citing the health authorities. The patient is a female Chinese tourist.
Nineteen cases have been confirmed in Thailand so far, the Bangkok Post reported. Five of them were reported on Friday, including a Thai taxi driver, who was confirmed as the nation's first case of person-to-person spread. So far, the majority of cases had reportedly been either Chinese tourists or Thai citizens who had traveled to China recently.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention announced on Wednesday that four members of a Chinese family in the UAE were all confirmed to be infected with novel coronavirus, becoming the first and so far only reported case in the country.
The UK Department of Health and Social Care confirmed two first cases of coronavirus in England on Friday, saying only that they were members of the same family and providing no further information.
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed six cases of infection with novel coronavirus in the United States, including the first case of person-to-person spread reported on Thursday. The CDC warns that there will be more cases reported in the country in the coming days and weeks.
Five cases of novel coronavirus have been reported in Vietnam so far, according to the Viet Nam News media outlet. Three of them are Vietnamese citizens, who returned from Wuhan and were confirmed to be infected on Thursday. Two previous cases were Chinese citizens.
