The World Health Organization confirmed on Tuesday that the global death rate for the novel coronavirus is 3.4% - higher than earlier estimates of about 2%. 

a group of people standing in front of a building: coronavirus © Provided by Business Insider India coronavirus

The coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China, has killed more than 3,100 people and infected nearly 93,000 as of Tuesday. The virus causes a disease known as COVID-19.

Speaking at a media briefing, Director-General of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that, globally, about 3.4% of reported COVID-19 cases have died. In contrast, the seasonal flu kills far less than 1% of those infected.

In pics: Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak around the world

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An outbreak of a new SARS-like coronavirus (COVID-19), which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has claimed more than 3,100 lives and infected over 90,000 people around the world. With 2,943 deaths, China is the worst affected, with fatalities reported in other countries and regions such as the U.S., Australia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, France, Taiwan, Iran, Italy and South Korea, which also has the highest cases of confirmed infections outside China. The other nations with confirmed cases include Andorra, Ecuador, Indonesia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Armenia, Mexico, Nigeria, New Zealand, Algeria, Switzerland, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, Germany, India, Malaysia, Brazil, Greece, Norway, Pakistan, Nepal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, UAE, the U.K. and Vietnam.

(Pictured) People wearing face masks cross a road in Shanghai, China, on March 2.

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The U.S. White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah L. Birx attends a press briefing, as Vice President Mike Pence looks on, in the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on March 2. As of March 3, six people had died in the state and at least 100 confirmed cases were reported across the country.
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Government officials make phone calls to members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus to check if they have symptoms of COVID-19, at the Goyang City Hall in South Korea on March 3. The country confirmed its 29th death and more than 4,800 cases of the virus infection on March 3.
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A member of the medical team checks the temperature of a man at a checkpoint in the outskirts of Duhok, Iraq, on March 2.
 
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A Brazilian scientists, who is among those that concluded coronavirus DNA sequencing, inserts a tube into a portable device connected to a computer that decodes virus DNA, at the Tropical Medicine Institute of the São Paulo University Medical School in Brazil on March 2.
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Rescue workers wearing masks and protective clothing check a man's temperature during a mock drill on handling suspected carriers of the coronavirus, in Peshawar, Pakistan, on March 2.
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Commuters wearing face masks amid fears of the spread of COVID-19 wait for a canal boat in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 2. The country reported its first death on March 1.
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Women wearing face masks walk on a street in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 2.

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A paramedic wearing a protective suit sanitizes the hands of people in Ashkelon, Israel, on March 2.

 
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Personnel from the health ministry check tourists' temperatures and for any symptoms at the Rumichaca border bridge in Tulcán, Ecuador, on March 1.

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Britain's Health Secretary Matt Hancock arrives at Downing Street in London, England, on March 2, ahead of an emergency COBRA meeting on UK's COVID-19 situation.

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A South Korean soldier wearing protective gear sanitizes a street in front of the city hall in Daegu, South Korea, on March 2.

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A group of carnival revelers walk through the old town of Basel, Switzerland, on March 2.

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Students of Hanoi National University of Education attend the first day of classes after returning to the university, which was closed for over a month due to the coronavirus outbreak, in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 2.

 
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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference on the coronavirus outbreak as (L-R) U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield and U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams look on, at the White House in Washington D.C., U.S., on Feb. 29.

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Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer, Public Health – Seattle & King County, speaks about the first death from COVID-19 novel coronavirus in the U.S. during a news conference in Seattle, Washington, U.S., on Feb. 29.

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Pedestrians wearing face masks cross a square in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 29.

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A police officer wears a protective face mask on the street in Mexico City, Mexico, on Feb. 29.

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A Paris Saint-Germain F.C. fan wears a face mask inside the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, on Feb. 29, during a match against Dijon FCO.

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A member of the Iraqi security forces wears a protective face mask in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 29.

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Officials in face masks stand at the starting point of the Tokyo Marathon in Japan on March 1.

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A man and his wife shop at a supermarket in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 29.

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Workers sew protective suits, meant to be used during the COVID-19 outbreak, at the Zhejiang Ugly Duck Industry garment factory in Wenzhou, China, on Feb. 28.

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A cleaner sanitizes a wagon on a regional train at the Garibaldi train station in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 28. Authorities are taking new measures against the COVID-19 outbreak as death toll in the country reached 21 on Feb. 29.
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A researcher works in a lab that is developing testing for the COVID-19 at the Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation in Nutley, New Jersey, U.S., on Feb 28. The facility develops novel therapies for some of the worlds most difficult diseases.

The U.S. states of Oregon and California reported their first and second cases of coronavirus on Feb. 29, respectively.

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People wearing protective masks are seen at the airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on Feb. 28. Mexico assistant health secretary announced on Feb. 28 that the country now has two confirmed cases of COVID-19.
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Commuters wear face masks on a street in Karachi, Pakistan, on Feb. 28, as the country detected its first two cases of novel coronavirus on Feb. 26.
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A medic worker in protective clothing attends the COVID-19 coronavirus response training exercise, at the Oleksandrivska Clinical Hospital in Kiev, Ukraine, on Feb. 28. No COVID-19 cases have been reported in the country, according to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
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A man with a mask at Pardisan Park in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 28. Death toll from the virus reached 34 in the country on Feb. 28.
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A boy poses for a photo as he sells masks while wearing a placard that reads, “First corona case confirmed - prevent yourself, wear a mask“ at a subway station in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Feb. 28.
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Workers wearing protective gears spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new virus at a subway station in Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 28. Japan's schools prepared to close for almost a month and entertainers, topped by K-pop superstars BTS, canceled events as a virus epidemic spread through Asia into Europe and into sub-Saharan Africa.
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U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks next to Health and Human Services Secretary, Alex Azar, during a coronavirus task force meeting at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Feb. 27.
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Tourists wear protective masks at Saint Mark's Square in Venice, as Italy battles a coronavirus outbreak, on Feb. 27.
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A man wearing a face mask walks past an installation of the Olympic rings in Tokyo, Japan, on Feb. 28. The International Olympic Committee is "committed" to holding the 2020 games in Tokyo as planned despite the widening coronavirus outbreak, the body's president has pledged. 
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Umrah pilgrims are seen after the cancellation of the departure to Mecca following the Saudi government's temporary ban announced on Feb. 27, to keep the country safe from the virus outbreak, at Soekarno Hatta International Airport, in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Feb. 27.
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A health worker takes part in a drill to handle suspected carriers of coronavirus, at a hotel in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on Feb. 26.

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U.S. President Donald Trump, with members of his coronavirus task force, speaks during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, in Washington D.C., on Feb. 26.
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A resident of Jongno-Gu district wearing a face mask sprays disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus at the Jogyesa Buddhist temple in Seoul, on Feb. 27.
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School staff leave after the government announced a 14-day closure as they found a eight-year old student was infected with the virus, at Phraharuthai Donmuang School in Bangkok, Thailand, on Feb. 26.
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Passengers wearing masks are seen at El Alto International Airport in the outskirts of La Paz, Bolivia, on Feb. 26.
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A worker disinfects a public bus against coronavirus in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 26.

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Health workers prepare for the arrival of evacuated Malaysians from Wuhan at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, on Feb. 26.

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A Filipino Catholic wearing a protective mask receives ash on top of her head as the church observes a "contactless" Ash Wednesday amid coronavirus scare, at the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Parañaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on Feb. 26.

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Personnel wearing protective gear spray anti-septic solution at a traditional market in Seoul on Feb. 26.

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Spanish police officers patrol outside the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in Tenerife, Canary Island, Spain, on Feb. 25.

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Bruce Aylward, international team lead for the WHO-China joint mission on COVID-19 attends a news conference after his trip to China at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 25.

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South Korean President Moon Jae-in talks during a special government meeting to discuss measures to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, at the Daegu City Hall in Daegu, South Korea, on Feb. 25.

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A demonstrator wears protective face mask during ongoing anti-government protests in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 25.

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Fans wear masks at Stadio San Paolo in Naples, Italy, on Feb. 25, prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between SSC Napoli and FC Barcelona.

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A man wears a face mask as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 outside a closed karaoke lounge in Beijing, China, on Feb. 25.

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The secretary of Public Health of the Government of Catalonia, Joan Guix (L), and the manager of integral health processes of the Catalan Health Service, Assumpta Ricardo (R), are seen giving a press conference about the first coronavirus case detected in Catalonia, in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb. 25.

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Fans wearing masks pose for photos before the start of a concert by Japanese girl group Perfume outside Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, on Feb. 25.

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A newly wed couple wear protective masks as they take photos with family in Hong Kong on Feb. 24. 

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A woman wearing face mask passes by posters about precautions against coronavirus at a bus station in Seoul on Feb. 25.

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Two men ride a bike as they wear protective masks in Najaf, Iraq, on Feb. 24.

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Bruce Aylward of the World Health Organization (WHO) attends a news conference on the WHO-China Joint Mission on coronavirus in Beijing, on Feb. 24. 

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Members of the Guardia di Finanza wearing face masks stop a car, amid a coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy, in Casalpusterlengo, Italy, on Feb. 24.
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U.N. Secretary General António Guterres speaks during an update on the situation at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, on Feb. 24. 

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People wear masks as they take selfie at a shopping district in Seoul on Feb. 24. 

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Security personnel wear face masks as they stand outside Duomo di Milano in Italy on Feb. 24.

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A street vendor sells face masks outside a railway station in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 24. 

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Commuters wear masks on the metro in Beijing, on Feb. 24. 

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Figures depicting coronavirus and "carnevals-virus" are seen at the Shrove Monday celebrations in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Feb. 24.

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People wearing protective masks are seen at the Shibuya shopping district in Tokyo, on Feb. 24.

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A reveler wears protective face mask at the Venice Carnival, the last days of which were called off after third death was reported in the country, in Italy on Feb. 23.

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A disinfection professional sprays antiseptic solution at a traditional market in Seoul on Feb. 24.
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A couple wears masks during the Aalst Carnival parade in Belgium on Feb. 23.
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People wear masks in downtown Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 23. Iran's health ministry confirmed the death toll to eight in the country as of Feb. 23.
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People in traditional Korean hanbok dresses wear face masks as they visit Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on Feb. 23. 
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Tourists from Korea wear masks at the Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Feb. 23.
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A woman is taken into an ambulance amid a coronavirus outbreak in Casalpusterlengo, on Feb. 22.

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Buddhist monks wearing protective face masks pray during a blessing ceremony for the people affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, at a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Feb. 22.
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Members of Red Cross board a Colombian Air Force plane that will evacuate the citizens from coronavirus-hit China, at the CATAM military base in Bogota, Colombia, on Feb. 22.
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Passengers wearing protective masks walk at the arrival hall of Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel on Feb. 22. Israel refused to allow about 200 non-Israelis to disembark from a plane, which arrived from South Korea, as part of measures against the new virus, the health ministry said.

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A health worker in a protective gear stands outside a Lego store at a main shopping area in Shanghai, China, on Feb. 21.
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Lebanon's Minister of Health Hamad Hasan and Iman Shantiki, World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Lebanon, attend a news conference after the country's first case of the novel coronavirus was confirmed, in Beirut, Lebanon, on Feb. 21.

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Passengers look on from a bus as they leave the coronavirus-hit cruise ship Diamond Princess at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 21.
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French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire speaks next to the Junior Minister for Economy and Finance Agnès Pannier-Runacher during a press conference after a meeting on the coronavirus' economic consequences, at the Economy Ministry in Paris, France, on Feb. 21.
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Disinfection workers wearing protective gears spray anti-septic solution at the subway station in Seoul, on Feb. 21.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' meeting on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Vientiane, Laos, on Feb. 20. 
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Medical staff checks passengers' temperature upon their arrival at Al Najaf International Airport, Iraq, on Feb. 20. 
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Workers in protective gear escort disembarking passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked at Yokohama Port, on Feb. 20. 
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A medical worker checks the temperature of a man wearing a protective mask at a quarantine checkpoint in the Son Loi commune in Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam, on Feb. 20.
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A Chinese tourist, who was tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus and isolated for treatment, gestures while accompanied by medical staff after she was discharged from the hospital following her recovery, near Colombo in Sri Lanka, on Feb. 19.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives to a tent during his visit to the Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer in Ramat Gan, Israel, for discussion on the coronavirus, on Feb. 19.
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A woman wearing a mask in precaution of the virus outbreak prays at the Kwan Im Hood Cho Temple in Singapore on Feb. 19.
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Passengers wearing protective facemasks amid concerns of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak wait to board their plane at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia on Feb. 19.
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Media personnel chase after a passenger (C) who disembarked from the Diamond Princess cruise ship at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, on Feb. 19.

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People wearing face masks pass by an electric screen about precautions against COVID-19 in Seoul on Feb. 18. The country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 15 new cases on Feb. 19.
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A tourist, wearing a protective face mask amid COVID-19 fears, takes photographs at Marina Bay in Singapore on Feb. 18. The country has more than 80 infected cases so far and has unveiled $4.6 billion in financial packages to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, which has battered the city-state’s economy and sparked fears of a recession.

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A security guard wearing a protective face mask checks the temperature of a woman before she enters a hospital in Shanghai on Feb. 18.
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Ambassador of China to South Africa, Lin Songtian, briefs the media on the update of COVID-19 epidemic at the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, on Feb. 18.
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Waiters wearing protective face masks wait for customers outside a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, on Feb. 17.

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Indians who were airlifted from Wuhan wait to collect their release certificates before leaving the ITBP quarantine facility in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 17.

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Military medics stand in a formation after deplaning from a transport aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) at the Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 17.

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People stand near the Westerdam cruise ship in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Feb. 18. The liner was docked five days ago after being refused entry at other Asian ports due to fears of the novel coronavirus.

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People wear face masks and plastic raincoats as protection at the Shanghai railway station in China, on Feb. 17.

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Doctor Hangzhou Lu, co-director of Shanghai Public Clinical Center Shanghai, shows a quarantine room for coronavirus patients at the finished but still unused building A2, in Shanghai on Feb. 17.

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A teacher gives a lecture with the help of her smart phone during an online class at a middle school in Donghai, China, on Feb. 17.

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French Health and Solidarity Minister Olivier Véran addresses the media at Bichat hospital in Paris, on Feb. 17, on the COVID-19 outbreak.

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A volunteer cuts a man's hair in Chongqing, China, on Feb. 16. Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, most barbershops have been closed. A community in the Beibei district of Chongqing organized a team of volunteer barbers to provide free haircuts for its residents.

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Staff of a catering company prepare meals for frontline medical workers in Shijiazhuang, China, on Feb. 16.

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Pictures of Pakistani students studying in Wuhan, China, are displayed by their family members during a demonstration in Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 16. The family members are demanding the evacuation of their relatives.

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Jewish worshipers take part in a prayer for those affected by the coronavirus, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel, on Feb. 16. The placard in Hebrew and Chinese reads "The Jewish people pray for China."

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A U.S. passenger gives a thumbs up to reporters while arriving at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, on Feb. 17, after disembarking in Yokohama from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

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Nepalese nationals who were in Wuhan walk out from a Nepal Airlines plane at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, on Feb. 16. The chartered plane brought back 175 nationals from Hubei province.

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A classroom is cleaned in preparation for students' return to school in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 15.

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The big screen displays a message of support in relation to the ongoing fight against coronavirus during a Premier League football match between Southampton and Burnley FC in Southampton, England, on Feb. 15.

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Two buses leave the port where the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship is docked in Yokohama, on Feb. 15.

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A woman is seen wearing a protective mask as she holds a rose on Valentine's Day, while waiting for the subway at a station during rush hour in Beijing, on Feb. 14.

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A passenger reacts as he disembarks from the Westerdam cruise ship in Sihanoukville, on Feb. 14, where the liner docked after being refused entry at other Asian ports due to fears of the COVID-19 outbreak. 
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People wearing facemasks look on during a rehearsal of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics torch relay in Japan on Feb. 15.
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A worker wears a protective mask suit as he checks the temperature of customers in a shopping area in Beijing on Feb. 14.
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Passengers and children stand on the deck of the cruise ship Diamond Princess, as the vessel's passengers continue to be tested for coronavirus (COVID-19), at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 13. Aboard this quarantined ship, 219 people have tested positive with the virus.
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Family members of Pakistani students studying in Wuhan, rally outside the Chinese Consulate in Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 13., for the evacuation of their children from the Chinese city.
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The Norwegian Jewel cruise ship is in lock down while health authorities test passengers for COVID-19 in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 14.
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Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen (C) speaks to passengers on board the Westerdam cruise ship in Sihanoukville on Feb. 14, where the liner on Feb. 13 was docked after being refused entry at other Asian ports due to fears of the virus.
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Jay Butler, deputy director for Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), speaks to the media inside the Emergency Operations Center in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., on Feb. 13.
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An employee receives payment from a customer through a container on a stick, in Beijing on Feb. 12. A ramp has also been set up to deliver food from the counter.

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Visitors wear protective masks as they walk through a nearly empty shopping mall in Beijing on Feb. 12. 

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Members of Japan Self-Defense Force attach a military vehicle to a gate of the Diamond Princess on Feb. 12.

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A laboratory technician helps a colleague remove the protective suit after leaving a laboratory in Shenyang, China, on Feb. 12.

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A woman fixes her mask as she waits for tourists at her shop at Chang Siam Park in Pattaya, Thailand, on Feb. 12. 

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People wave at family on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked at Daikoku Pier, Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 11. 
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Health workers in protective gears evacuate residents from a public housing building in Hong Kong on Feb 11.
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A Chinese couple wears plastic coats and protective masks as they shop for groceries at a supermarket in Beijing on Feb. 11.
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Spectators walk past a thermal camera ahead of the AFC Champions League Group F match between Ulsan Hyundai and FC Tokyo at the Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, South Korea, on Feb. 11.
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Members of the media stand near the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama on Feb. 11.

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A Malaysian Royal Guard wears a protective mask as he stands guard outside National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Feb. 10.

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A worker wearing a protective suit carries a fogging machine as others prepare to disinfect a business establishment in Shanghai on Feb. 9.

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A plane carrying 150 Britons, who were trapped in Wuhan following the coronavirus outbreak, lands at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, near London, England, on Feb. 9.
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Local health government and medical chief members speak to media at the Son Espases hospital, where a case of coronavirus has been detected, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on Feb. 9.
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A group of 20 Germans evacuated from Wuhan leave Tegel Airport in a convoy, after their arrival in an air force plane in Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 9.
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Brazilian citizens from Wuhan arrive at the Air Force base of Anapolis, in Brazil on Feb. 9.
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A passenger wearing a mask walks outside the Shanghai railway station in China on Feb. 8.

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Workers produce protective clothing at a factory in Wuxi, China, on Feb. 8. The factory, which previously produced suits and sportswear, switched to production of protective clothing as demand increased due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

137/184 SLIDES © Kin Cheung/AP Photo

Family members of passengers from the cruise ship World Dream docked at Kai Tak cruise terminal, wave on shore in Hong Kong on Feb. 8. The cruise ship with approximately 1,800 passengers remained quarantined in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor on Feb. 8. Several passengers from mainland China on a previous World Dream cruise were found to have the new coronavirus on returning home.

138/184 SLIDES © Lim Huey Teng/Reuters

A Hindu devotee wears a mask as she carries a milk pot on her head at a shrine in Batu Caves during the Thaipusam festival in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 8.

139/184 SLIDES © Geovien So/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks to the media during a press conference on the coronavirus situation in Hong Kong on Feb. 8. Lam said that the government has bought 48 million masks and received 17 million more from China to counter the shortage of masks in Hong Kong.

140/184 SLIDES © Yonhap/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has his temperature checked during a visit to a clinic in Gyeonggi, South Korea, on Feb. 8.

141/184 SLIDES © Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

People look on from the quarantined cruise liner Diamond Princess, in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, on Feb. 7. About 64 passengers from the ship have tested positive for the virus. Another ship, the World Dream, has been docked and quarantined at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong. It has 3,600 passengers and crew on board.

142/184 SLIDES © Edward Wang/Reuters

Flight attendants wearing protective clothing and masks serve snacks to Canadians, who had been evacuated from China due to the outbreak of novel Coronavirus on an American charter plane, on another aircraft taking them to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton from the Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, Canada, on Feb. 7.

143/184 SLIDES © Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo
Members of U.S. President Donald Trump's Coronavirus task force – (L-R) Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun – attend a news conference about the virus at the Health and Human Services headquarters in Washington, D.C, U.S., on Feb. 7.
144/184 SLIDES © Kham/Reuters
People spray chemical to sterilize vehicles against the virus in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam, on Feb. 7.
145/184 SLIDES © Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
A woman hangs a Japanese flag that reads "shortage of medicine" onboard the cruise ship Diamond Princess, which is anchored at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama on Feb. 7. 
146/184 SLIDES © Fabian Hamacher/Reuters
Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen speaks about the coronavirus situation during a news conference at the Centers for Disease Control in Taipei, Taiwan, on Feb. 7. 
147/184 SLIDES © Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
Spectators wear masks while attending the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul on Feb. 6.
148/184 SLIDES © Rodrigo Urzagasti/Reuters
Members of an emergency team participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, on Feb. 6. 
149/184 SLIDES © Ivan Abreu/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
Airport security staff checks passengers using a thermal sensor screen at the Hong Kong International Airport on Feb. 6. 
150/184 SLIDES © Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty Images
A tourist receives a free protective face mask from Buddhist volunteers in Hanoi on Feb. 6.
151/184 SLIDES © Maxim Slutsky/AP Photo
A group of medical personnel meet evacuees, carried by a Russian military plane at an airport outside Tyumen, Russia, on Feb. 5. Russia evacuated 144 people, Russians and nationals of Belarus, Ukraine and Armenia, from the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, on the day. All evacuees will be quarantined for two weeks in a sanatorium in the Tyumen region in western Siberia, government officials said.
152/184 SLIDES © STR/Jiji Press/AFP/Getty Images

Workers in protective gear are seen on Japan Coast Guard boats in Yokohama, on Feb. 5, bringing patients from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship.

153/184 SLIDES © STR/AFP/Getty Images

Beds are set up at an exhibition center, which was converted into a hospital, in Wuhan on Feb. 4. 

154/184 SLIDES © Muzzafar Kasim/Malaysia's Ministry of Health/AP Photo

This handout photo released by Malaysia's Ministry of Health shows citizens being directed onto a bus by health officials as they arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia in Feb. 4. 

155/184 SLIDES © Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images

People wear face masks as they go about their daily lives in Singapore on Feb. 4. 

156/184 SLIDES © Tyrone Siu/Reuters

Medical workers hold a strike outside the office of Hospital Authority in Hong Kong, as they demand the closure of borders with China, on Feb. 4.

157/184 SLIDES © Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images
Health services staff members wearing protective gear interact with passengers at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Feb. 2.
158/184 SLIDES © Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters

Members of the Association for Sri Lanka and China Social and Cultural Cooperation (ASLCSCC) hold candles during a vigil to pray for people who are suffering from coronavirus across the world, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Feb. 1.

159/184 SLIDES © Caroline Seidel/picture alliance via Getty Images

German Minister for Defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (R) and German Minister for Health Jens Spahn give a joint statement in Bonn, Germany, on Feb. 1, on the evacuation of more than 100 German citizens from Wuhan following the coronavirus outbreak.

160/184 SLIDES © Aytug Can Sencar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca speaks to the press after a Turkish cargo plane carrying 42 passengers from Wuhan landed at Etimesgut Military Airport in Ankara, Turkey, on Feb. 1.
161/184 SLIDES © Luke Dray/Getty Images
Medical staff of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health prepares to screen passengers at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport of Ethiopia, on Jan. 31.
162/184 SLIDES © Ali Murat Alhas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Officials make preparations in Turkish Air Forces' A400M cargo plane at Etimesgut Military Airbase in Ankara, which is to depart to China to fly Turkish citizens out of Wuhan, on Jan. 31.
163/184 SLIDES © Christopher Black/WHO/Handout/Reuters

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, and Didier Houssin, chair of the emergency committee, at the opening of the second meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee for Pneumonia due to the Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV in Geneva on Jan. 30.

164/184 SLIDES © Maria Khrenova/TASS/Getty Images
China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun stated in his press briefing that over 130 patients have been cured of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus in New York City on Jan. 31.
165/184 SLIDES © P. Ravikumar/Reuters

Medical staff with protective clothing are seen inside a ward specialized in treating people who may have been infected with the virus, at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General hospital in Chennai, India, on Jan. 29.

166/184 SLIDES © Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images
An official of Pakistan-based Chinese company (R) uses a thermo gun to check the temperature of the company's drivers in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Jan. 30, after instructions from authorities to take preventive measures against the virus.
167/184 SLIDES © Thai Government Spokesman's office via AP
Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha (C) speaks to journalists during a visit to Suvarnabhumi Airport to inspect measures in place to monitor passengers as they arrive in Bangkok on Jan. 29.
168/184 SLIDES © Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin/Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko during a meeting on preventing the spread of the virus in Moscow on Jan. 29.
169/184 SLIDES © Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters
Children are seen wearing facial masks as a precaution after Nepal confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the country, at Matribhumi School in Madhyapur Thimi, Nepal, on Jan. 29.
170/184 SLIDES © Ahmed Yosri/Reuters
Passengers from China are checked by Saudi Health Ministry employees upon their arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 29. 
171/184 SLIDES © Jose Cabezas/Reuters

Images captured by a thermographic imaging device to check the temperatures of arriving passengers at a quarantine station are seen on a monitor at the Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, on Jan. 26.

172/184 SLIDES © Diptendu Dutta/AFP/Getty Images

A banner placed by Indian health workers is seen during a coronavirus information camp for travelers at an India-Nepal border crossing, near Siliguri, India, on Jan. 26.

173/184 SLIDES © Herbert Pfarrhofer/APA/Getty Images

(L-R) Sabine Hagenauer of the infection department at the 4th medical department of Kaiser Franz Josef Hospital, Michael Binder, medical director of the Vienna Hospital Association, and Judith Aberle of the department of virology, Medical University Vienna, address a press conference at Kaiser-Franz-Josef hospital in Vienna, Austria, on Jan. 26. A Chinese flight attendant was quarantined in the hospital with symptoms of flu, in what authorities suspected as the first coronavirus case in the country.

174/184 SLIDES © Andrei Samsonov/TASS via Getty Images
A Rospotrebnadzor (Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being) official uses a thermal imaging device to conduct a temperature check of passengers arriving at Krasnoyarsk International Airport on a plane from Cam Rahn, Vietnam, in Russia on Jan. 23.
175/184 SLIDES © Jeon Heon-Kyun/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Sanitation workers spray a disinfectant at Suseo Station in Seoul, on Jan. 24.

176/184 SLIDES © Don Arnold/Getty Images

A passenger holds up an Australian Government document pertaining to the coronavirus as passengers arrive at Sydney International Airport in Australia on Jan. 23. 

177/184 SLIDES © MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Passengers arriving from China are screened at Kolkata International Airport, India, on Jan. 22. Screening centers have been set up in the Indian cities of Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin apart from three airports at Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata to screen for the coronavirus. 

178/184 SLIDES © Christopher Black/WHO/Handout via Reuters
Director-General of World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, takes part in a news conference after a meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee to discuss about the outbreak of Pneumonia in China and other countries due to the 2019-nCoV, in Geneva, on Jan. 22.
179/184 SLIDES © Mick Tsikas/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Deputy Australian Prime Minister Michael McCormack (L) and Prime Minister Scott Morrison (C) are updated by Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy on the steps being taken to control the virus, at the National Incident Room of the Department of Health in Canberra, Australia, on Jan. 22.
180/184 SLIDES © Pavel Mikheyev/Reuters
Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travelers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the coronavirus at Almaty International Airport in Kazakhstan Jan. 21.
181/184 SLIDES © Vincent Thian/AP Photo
Health officials watch travelers on a thermographic monitor at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, on Jan. 21.
182/184 SLIDES © Stringer/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital where patients infected with the coronavirus are being treated, in Wuhan on Jan. 20.
183/184 SLIDES © Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images
A stock investor checks prices at a brokerage house in Fuyang, China, on Jan. 21. China's market went down by 1.4 percent after the news of the coronavirus.
184/184 SLIDES © Stringer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Dozens of diggers work to build a new hospital in Wuhan, on Jan. 25. Due to the large number of infected people, the government decided to establish a temporary 1,000-bed hospital.

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"There's another whole cohort that is either asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a briefing last month. "We're going to see a diminution in the overall death rate."

The mortality rate of coronavirus will also likely change as more cases are confirmed, and experts predict the percentage of deaths will decrease as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise. 

Also watch: Does your health insurance cover you? (Video by The Economic Times)

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'It is a unique virus with unique characteristics'

Tedros noted differences between the coronavirus and other infectious diseases, like MERS, SARS, and influenza. He said that data suggests COVID-19 does not transmit as efficiently as the flu and that people who are infected but not yet sick with the flu are major transmitters of the disease, which does not appear to be the case for coronavirus. 

He added that COVID-19 appears to cause a "more severe disease" than the seasonal flu, and explained that while people around the world may have built up an immunity to the flu over time, the novelty of the coronavirus means no one yet has immunity, and more people are susceptible to infection. 

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"It is a unique virus with unique characteristics," he said. 

Tedros said last week that the mortality rate of the disease can differ greatly based on the country of treatment. He added that people with mild cases of the disease will recover in about two weeks, and those with severe cases may take three to six weeks to recover. 

Despite the higher global death rate, the number of fatalities is based on several factors 

a man standing in front of a building: coronavirus © Provided by Business Insider India coronavirus

The fatality rate of the disease is based on several factors, including where a patient is being treated, their age, the severity of the disease, and any pre-existing health conditions they might have.

Coronavirus cases have been reported in at least 76 countries, with a vast majority occurring in China. 

A study conducted last month from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention showed that the virus most seriously affected older people with preexisting health problems. The data suggests a person's chances of dying from the disease increase with age. 

a screenshot of a cell phone: covid 19 mortality rate by age chart © Provided by Business Insider India covid 19 mortality rate by age chart

Notably, the research showed that patients ages 10-19 had the same chance of dying from COVID-19 as patients in their 20s and 30s, but the disease appeared to be much more fatal in people ages 50 and over. 

About 80% of coronavirus cases are mild, the research showed, and experts think many mild cases haven't been reported because some people aren't going to the doctor or hospitals for treatment. 

Here's how the coronavirus compares with a handful of other major outbreaks.

Aria Bendix contributed reporting. 

Follow the government's latest travel advice if you are planning a trip outside India or travelling back to India from affected areas. You can also read World Health Organization's advice on basic protective measures against the virus. The Ministry of Health's special helpline is available at +91-11-23978046 and ncov2019@gmail.com

 
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