About 132 people have died and 6,000 others have been infected by the coronavirus in Wuhan, China, which is spreading rapidly to the rest of the world. More than 60 million people have emptied cities to escape a potential infection.
Meanwhile, 70 more cases have been confirmed in 17 countries outside China, including 5 in the US.
One of China's top respiratory specialists, Zhong Nanshan, said the virus could peak within a week or 10 days.
"It is difficult to predict exactly when the peak will be reached, but it can be reached in about a week or 10 days," he said.
Zhong is known for his help in stopping the SARS epidemic in 2002-2003, which killed 774 people worldwide, 648 of whom in China, including Hong Kong.
However, he said the death rate from the virus will come down, thanks to doctors' efforts, despite the lack of a vaccine so far.
Source: The Straits Time & Cnn
