WUHAN, CHINA — China has confirmed its first case of novel coronavirus in Tibet.
This means the Wuhan virus has now spread to every single region across China, bringing up the total number of confirmed cases to nearly 9,800 as of Friday, according to the New York Times.
According to CNN, the number of coronavirus cases has already surpassed the number of SARS cases, which was 5,327, inside China back in 2003. The virus has taken the lives of 213 people in China.
The novel coronavirus has spread to at least 19 other nations including Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, the U.S. and Canada, reports BBC News.
Since the outbreak, countries including Japan and the U.S. have rushed to evacuate their citizens out of the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated.
The New York Times reports health officials in the U.S. reported its first human to human transmission of the coronavirus. A woman who had traveled to Wuhan had spread the virus to her husband who had not been to China. Both of them have now been hospitalized for treatment.
According to CNN, other countries including Australia, Germany, Italy and Spain said that they are working with local authorities in China and are expected to repatriate their citizens out of Wuhan later this week.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency.
A large number of countries are advising their citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to China, BBC News reports.
Symptoms of the coronavirus include severe coughing, fever and shortness of breath. Complications from the virus can lead to pneumonia.
The coronavirus is believed to have originally spread from wild animals to humans, though there are now documented cases of the virus being transmitted between humans.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised the public to wear facemasks and cover the mouth when coughing or sneezing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The CDC also advised the public to avoid using unwashed hands to touch their eyes, nose and mouth, and to avoid sharing items that could easily be infected.
