Coronavirus spreads faster outside China, stoking global fears

A woman wearing a face mask is seen on a street in downtown Shanghai, China, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus [Reuters]

The number of new coronavirus infections inside China - the source of the outbreak - was for the first time overtaken by fresh cases elsewhere on Wednesday, with Italy and Iran emerging as epicenters of the rapidly spreading illness.

Asia reported hundreds of new cases, Brazil confirmed Latin America’s first infection and the new disease - COVID-19 - was also detected for the first time in Pakistan, Sweden, Norway, Greece, Romania and Algeria.