International fears grow with virus deaths in Italy, South Korea

Fears have mounted over the rise of new cases and fatalities outside China from the new coronavirus outbreak, as the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of a shrinking window to stem the spread of the deadly disease.

The warning came as the first deaths from the new COVID-19 strain were reported in the Middle East. COVID-19, as the new coronavirus is known, first emerged in December in central China but has now spread to almost 30 countries and caused more than a dozen deaths outside of China.