Death toll for new coronavirus hits 805, exceeding that of SARS - CNBC

A staff member takes body temperature of a girl at Singapore Changi Airport in Singapore, Feb. 5, 2020.

Then Chih Wey | Xinhua | Getty Images

The global death toll from the new coronavirus is now at 805, higher than that of SARS.

Hubei province reported Sunday morning that there were 81 additional deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities in the mainland to 803 so far. The global death toll for the new coronavirus currently stands at 805, including one death in the Philippines and another in Hong Kong.

That compares to the SARS outbreak which killed at least 774 people and infected 8,096 people worldwide in 2002 and 2003, according to data from the World Health Organization.

Hubei, the Chinese province at the center of the global outbreak, accounts for most of the deaths and cases around the world.

The Hubei Provincial Health Committee also reported an additional 2,147 new cases, bringing the total of confirmed cases in the province to 27,100.

The new virus — first reported to the World Health Organization in late December — is believed to have originated from a seafood market in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei.

It has since infected more than 35,000 people worldwide, majority of them in mainland China. According to WHO's latest situation report, nearly 300 cases have been reported in 24 countries, mostly in Asia.

— This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.

Let's block ads! (Why?)