Imams in Turkey perform special prayer amid virus

After the fifth and final call to prayer in Muslim Turkey on Friday, imams around the country were asked to perform an additional prayer asking for God's mercy and protection during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Calls echoed across the city of Istanbul, Turkey's largest, where a total of 12,231 people have been infected with the virus and where 210 people have died.

Turkey's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca reported 69 new COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll in the country to 425.

He also raised the total number of COVID-19 infections to 20,921, reporting 2,786 more cases on Friday.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.