COVID-19 slower than flu but more dangerous: WHO

Beijing/New Delhi: The coronavirus infections showed signs of receding in China with 38 new fatalities, taking the total number of deaths to 2,981, Chinese health officials have said even as countries grappled to contain the fast-spreading deadly virus that has claimed over 3,100 lives globally.

By the end of Tuesday, 2,981 people died of the COVID-19 and a total of 80,270 confirmed cases of the virus were reported in China, National Health Commission (NHC) reported on Tuesday.

The death toll due to the deadly disease across the world mounted to 3,123 and confirmed cases surpassed 91,783, official media here reported.

NHC received reports of 119 new confirmed cases in China on Tuesday from 31 provincial-level regions and Xinjiang, including 115 from Hubei province and its capital Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus.

Outside Hubei, only four cases were reported on Tuesday, down from 890 on February 3, the NHC said, highlighting that the virus cases have been declining in the rest of the country.

Among the deaths, 37 were in Hubei and one in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the NHC said. Meanwhile, 143 new suspected cases were reported on Tuesday, it said, adding that all over the country 520 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

A paytm employee in Gurgaon, Haryana, has tested positive for coronavirus.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has observed that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads less efficiently than the influenza or flu virus. However, the WHO also noted that the illness caused by COVID-19 is more severe than that of the flu.

WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted, "COVID-19 spreads less efficiently than flu, and transmission does not appear to be driven by people who are not sick, while in the case of influenza, people who are infected but not yet sick are major drivers of transmission."

As news broke of more cases of coronavirus spreading across the United States, T-Mobile had a novel response to the threat: fewer hugs, kisses or high-fives.

The Bellevue, Washington-based wireless provider is "encouraging personal distancing at work" - and has "all sorts of sanitation products readily available," according to the company TMUS.O.

Elsewhere, U.S. companies are embracing new ways to protect their employees. Hollywood executives are reconsidering red carpet premiers; CNN head Jeff Zucker is personally reviewing intercontinental travel.

Facebook Inc FB.O is going so far as to take the "social" out of social media and has banned non-business visitors to its offices.

Across the U.S. business landscape, companies from AT&T Inc T.N to Home Depot Inc HD.N are scrambling to manage the risk of a virus that only a week ago was isolated to China, Iran, Italy and South Korea and has now spread to 53 countries.

Napoli's Italian Cup semi-final second leg against Inter Milan scheduled for Thursday has been postponed as the coronavirus epidemic continues to hit the country.