The death toll from the coronavirus in China has risen to 17, as dozens more cases have been reported, including one in the United States, sparking fears of a possible pandemic.
Top officials at the World Health Organization will convene for an emergency meeting in Geneva today, to decide whether the quickly developing outbreak constitutes a “public health emergency of international concern,” and what recommendations should be made regarding it.
They include: potential cross-border screening, greater surveillance and rolling out treatment programs.
Chinese health authorities said this morning that more than 500 cases had been confirmed in the mainland.
Officials in Washington state confirmed the first case on US soil yesterday.
Cases have also been reported in South Korea, Thailand and Japan, and suspected cases have been detected in Australia.
