The virus was first detected in Wuhan city, Central China, in December 2019. It is believed to have originated from wild animals, passing to humans due to the wildlife trade and wet markets. The virus spread to other China provinces in early and mid-January 2020, helped by the Chinese new year migration.

WHO declared the new coronavirus outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 31.

The countries that have been affected by the novel coronavirus COVID-19 are as follows:

China, S. Korea, Italy, Japan, Iran, Singapore, Hong Kong, USA, Kuwait, Thailand, Bahrain, Taiwan, Germany, Australia, Malaysia, France, Vietnam, Spain, U.K., Canada, Macao, Iraq, Oman, Philippines, Croatia, India, Austria, Finland, Israel, Lebanon, Pakistan, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Afghanistan, Algeria, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, North Macedonia, Nepal, Norway, Romania and Sri Lanka. (ILKHA)