Trump vows to hold China accountable for outbreak

Speaking during a White House press briefing, President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to hold China accountable for "worldwide damage" caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

"We are not happy with China. We are not happy with that whole situation because we believe it could have been stopped at the source," he said.

Trump was also asked about comments he made last week, publicly musing that scientists should explore the injection of toxic disinfectants as a potential virus cure.

Many Americans apparently were taking Trump's comments as more than sarcastic.

After receiving more than 100 calls to its hotline, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency tweeted this alert: "This is a reminder that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route."

When asked if he takes responsibility, Trump responded that he "can imagine" people took his comments seriously.

The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.