SHANGHAI — A top Chinese health official warned on Sunday that the spread of the deadly new coronavirus, already extraordinarily rapid, could accelerate further, deepening global fears about an illness that has sickened more than 2,000 people worldwide and killed at least 56 people in China. Adding to the growing alarm, the official, Ma Xiaowei, the director of China’s National Health Commission, said that people carrying the virus but not showing symptoms could still infect others. The incubation period, he added, can vary from one to 14 days, with a typical duration of about 10 days. “The epidemic is now entering a more serious and complex period,” Mr. Ma said during a news conference in Beijing. “It looks like it will continue for some time, and the number of cases may increase.”

Source: New York Times January 26, 2020 19:18 UTC