At present, the number of cases of the disease in China is above 20,000
Since the beginning of the year health officials across the world have been on high alert over a form of virus first encountered in the Chinese city of Wuhan, in the Hebei province.
The novel coronavirus is believed to have come from animals and was first diagnosed in people who spent time around the city’s seafood markets. It has since spread to various regions around the world, with two cases so far diagnosed in the United Kingdom, but has yet to reach levels required to be defined as a pandemic.
People with pre-existing health issues are more at risk of dying from the virus, which has so far caused 427 deaths worldwide. The majority of deaths have occurred in China.
Watching rolling news coverage, it can be easy to become anxious at the prospect of contracting this disease, but how worried should you really be? And how likely are you to catch it? We spoke to an expert to find out.
