Map shows horror spread of coronavirus as more deaths confirmed

As the rapid spread of coronavirus continues to cause widespread panic, a map is showing where the life-threatening illness has moved.

The rapid spread of the deadly coronavirus has been turned into a map, with China confirming another 25 deaths from the viral illness.

The map was created by Johns Hopkins University as a response to the ongoing public health emergency and to “visualise and track the reported cases on a daily timescale”.

The map is collected from a handful of sources including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United States’ Centres for Disease Control and a number of Chinese health organisations.

The interactive map shows the thousands of confirmed coronavirus cases around the world, with the larger circles relating to more infected people.

The spread of coronavirus. Picture: Johns Hopkins CSSE

Coronavirus across China. Picture: Johns Hopkins CSSE

More than 45 cases have been confirmed elsewhere in the world. Almost all involve Chinese tourists or people who visited Wuhan, where the outbreak originated.

Sri Lanka confirmed its first case yesterday. Infections also have been confirmed in Australia, the United States, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, France and Canada.

But Japan and Germany have confirmed two people contracted the virus despite not visiting China.

One bus driver caught the virus after driving two groups of Chinese tourists earlier this month, while another is believed to have been infected by a Chinese colleague who visited his workplace.

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WHO was first informed of an outbreak of “pneumonia of unknown cause” on December 31 last year after it was detected in Wuhan City, China.

Wuhan, in Hubei Province, is China’s seventh largest city with 11 million residents.

Four weeks on, the virus has exploded across the world, infecting thousands and killing more than 100 people.

China on Tuesday confirmed 26 more people had been killed by the disease, raising the total to at least 106. According to the nation’s National Health Commission, a further 976 people were in a serious condition.

The new total includes the first death in Beijing, the Chinese capital, 24 new deaths in the Hubei province and another in the Hainan province.

The US consulate in Wuhan, where authorities cut off most access on January 22 in an effort to contain the disease, was preparing to fly its diplomats and some other Americans out of the city.

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A patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan on January 25. Picture: Hector Retamal/AFP

Passengers in masks at Brisbane International Airport. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Japan, France and Mongolia and other governments were also preparing evacuations.

On the weekend, China’s National Health Commission Minister Ma Xiaowei said the virus’s ability to spread appeared to be getting “somewhat stronger”.

It’s now believed coronavirus can be spread before any symptoms appear.

Mr Ma said the incubation period for the virus ranged up to 14 days and the virus was infectious during this time.

On Wednesday, the Australian government updated its travel advice, warning people to reconsider their need to travel to China.

Authorities were also urging anyone who had developed a fever or respiratory symptoms within 14 days of travel to China to see their GP immediately. They were told to call ahead and advise the clinic of their symptoms so precautions could be taken.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said on Monday that any child who had been in contact with a person confirmed as having novel coronavirus must not attend school or childcare for 14 days after the last contact with the infected person.

She said healthy children who had travelled to China would not be told to stay at home when classes returned, but should be carefully monitored for symptoms.

“The most common symptom is a fever,” Dr Chant said.

China’s increasingly drastic containment efforts began with the suspension of plane, train and bus links to Wuhan.

That lockdown has expanded to 17 cities with more than 50 million people in the most far-reaching disease-control measures ever imposed.

China extended the Lunar New Year holiday, the country’s busiest travel season, by three days to Sunday to keep the public at home and reduce the risk infection will spread.

— with AAP