The World Health Organisation described the new coronavirus as a major global threat while speaking out against some of the extreme measures that have been taken to contain it. SUPPLIED 99 per cent of the cases have occurred within China and only two fatalities have been reported outside the Chinese mainland. The abbreviation stands for coronavirus disease 2019, and was intended to "prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing," Tedros said. Tedros made the comments at the launch of a two-day scientific conference in Geneva on Tuesday to speed up the development of medications and vaccines for the new coronavirus. In Washington DC, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned that Covid-19 could have a broader financial impact around the world.

Source: Stuff February 12, 2020 02:26 UTC