By Merlina Hernando-Malipot
The new virus that continues to spark fear to people across the globe has killed over 700 and infected over 34,000 other globally, according to data of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Based on the WHO Health Emergency Dashboard on novel coronavirus as of February 8, 2020, there are 34,822 confirmed cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in 25 countries with 724 reported deaths. In China, where the deadly virus originated, WHO said there are 34,598 confirmed cases of the 2019-nCoV.
Aside from China, other countries with confirmed 2019-nCoV cases are:
Singapore: 33
Thailand: 32
Japan: 25
Republic of Korea: 24
Australia: 15
Malaysia: 15
Germany: 14
Viet Nam: 13
USA: 12
Canada: 7
UAE: 7 Cases
France: 6 Cases
India: 3 Cases
Italy: 3 Cases
Philippines: 3 Cases
United Kingdom: 3 Cases
Russian Federation: 2 Cases
Cambodia: 1 Case
Finland: 1 Case
Nepal: 1 Case
Sri Lanka: 1 Case
Spain: 1 Case
Sweden: 1 Case
Belgium: 1 Case
Based on the 2019-nCoV tracker of DOH as of February 8, there are 264 persons under investigation (PUI) in the Philippines for possible 2019-nCoV. Among these are Chinese nationals from Wuhan, China – a 38-year-old Chinese woman who is reportedly recovering; a 44-year-old Chinese man who died due to the virus; and a 60-year-old Chinese female who already left the country.