WHO warns against novel coronavirus 'blanket measures'

World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday warned against "blanket measures" over vel coronavirus outbreak, pointing out epidemic outside of China was only affecting a "tiny" proportion of population.

WHO also said that - with a mortality rate of around 2 percent -- COVID-19 was "less dely" than or coronaviruses such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

WHO officials rejected suggestion that all cruises should be halted to avoid risking a new nest of infection like one on coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess off Japan.

"Measures should be taken proportional to situation. Blanket measures may t help," WHO chief Tedros ham Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva.

outbreak, which has infected some 70,500 people in China and killed over 1,700, has battered manufacturing and tourism across region and led to multiple travel restrictions including for flights and cruises.

"If we are going to disrupt every cruise ship in world on off chance that re might be some potential contact with some potential pathogen n where do we stop?" said Michael Ryan, he of WHO's health emergencies programme.

Ryan said that even at epicentre of crisis in city of Wuhan in central Hubei Province, "attack rate" -- a measure of speed of spre of virus -- was four per 100,000.

"This is a very serious outbreak and it has potential to grow, but we need to balance that in terms of number of people infected. Outside Hubei this epidemic is affecting a very, very tiny, tiny proportion of people," he said.

Tedros also referred to an apparent decline in new cases of disease in recent days but said that trend "must be interpreted very cautiously".

"Trends can change as new populations are affected. It is too early to tell if this reported decline will continue. Every scenario is still on table," he said.

Tedros said that more than 80 percent of patients infected with virus have mild disease and recover, while 14 percent have severe diseases such as pneumonia.

Around five per cent of cases are considered critical with possible multi-organ failure, septic shock and respiratory failure and, in some cases, death," he ded.

Tedros said re were "relatively few cases" among children and more research was needed to understand why.

(File Photo | AP)