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

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

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

"Measures should be taken proportional to the situation. Blanket measures may not help," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva.

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

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

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

"This is a very serious outbreak and it has the potential to grow, but we need to balance that in terms of the 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 the disease in recent days but said that the 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 the table," he said.

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

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

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

Coronavirus: latest developments worldwide
Paris (AFP) Feb 17, 2020 –

Evacuation of US passengers from Diamond Princess cruise ship. Scramble to trace hundreds of other passengers from a liner after they disembarked in Cambodia. Top Beijing car show cancelled.

Here are the latest developments in China's coronavirus crisis.

– 1,770 dead –

The death toll from China's novel coronavirus epidemic jumps to 1,770 in mainland China after 105 more people succumb.

Outside mainland China five more deaths are recorded in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, France and Taiwan.

The number of infections approaches 70,500 in China, while there are nearly 800 cases in some 30 other countries.

– Diamond Princess –

The number of people infected on a cruise ship quarantined off Japan since February 3 has risen to 454, a daily jump of 99. They represent the biggest cluster outside China.

The ship carried 3,711 passengers and crew on arrival.

The US has evacuated more than 300 of their nationals who had been on the ship via chartered flights home, where they will be quarantined locally. Fourteen of those passengers are infected.

– Tracing cruise passengers –

A scramble intensified to trace passengers from a US cruise liner allowed to disembark in Cambodia despite at least one traveller later being diagnosed with the deadly coronavirus.

The Westerdam was at sea for two weeks and barred from five Asian ports over fears it could be carrying the virus, before it was able to dock in Cambodia.

Of the 1,455 passengers, more than 1,200 have disembarked from the ship and some have since left Cambodia to return to their home countries.

– Motor show called off –

The Beijing auto show, China's biggest car salon scheduled to take place in April, has been called off.

In Japan organisers announced they would cancel the amateur portion of the Tokyo marathon, ruling out the competition for 38,000 runners.

Also in Japan, a public gathering for the emperor's birthday set for later in February has been cancelled.