Shanghai/Canberra | The world is bracing for its worst health crisis in decades – China's deadly coronavirus has spread to 19 countries, including densely-populated India, and governments in Australia and around the world are scrambling to shield their citizens.

Russia closed its more than 4000-kilometre land border with China after the number of infections increased tenfold over the past week and the death rate rose to 213 as of Friday evening. More than 40 airlines have cancelled flights to China and the United States has told its citizens not to travel to the country, putting it in the same category as Libya and Afghanistan.