Coronavirus: News and updates on new cases and its spread

Covid-19 could become a pandemic as it spreads around the globe from South Korea to Iran and the US. Here’s the latest.

The new coronavirus, called Covid-19, has spiraled into a global threat, as countries around the world have scrambled to impose travel bans, quarantine millions, and isolate sick people in an attempt to stop the spread of the new virus.

The coronavirus outbreak is looking more like a pandemic, and health experts say it’s time to prepare for worldwide spread on all continents.

Coronaviruses attack the respiratory system, sometimes targeting the cells deep within the lungs. Only seven, including 2019-nCoV, SARS, and MERS, have evolved to infect humans.

The outbreak was first reported to the World Health Organization by Chinese officials on December 31 in Wuhan, a city of 11 million in Hubei province. By mid-January — despite a quarantine in Wuhan, imposed by the Chinese government — it had begun spreading rapidly.

The World Health Organization has ruled that the outbreak is a global health emergency, a rare designation the agency gives outbreaks that pose an international risk.

There are many questions about coronavirus at this stage of the outbreak: Is it safe to travel? What should I do to protect myself? How will the outbreak end?

We’ll continue to update this stream as the story unfolds.