A passenger wearing a full-body protective suit catches the eyes of others as they walk out from the Beijing railway station in Beijing, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. China's daily death toll from a new virus topped 100 for the first time and pushed the total past 1,000 dead, authorities said Tuesday after leader Xi Jinping visited a health center to rally public morale amid little sign the contagion is abating. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
The Associated Press
GENEVA (AP) - The World Health Organization convened outside experts Tuesday to fast-track promising tests, drugs and vaccines to help slow the outbreak of a new virus that emerged in China that has killed more than 1,000 people and spread to two dozen other countries.
The new coronavirus was only identified late last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan and there are no licensed drugs or vaccines. Diagnostic tests have been developed by several laboratories, but there are no rapid tests available. More than 300 scientists were expected to dial in remotely to the two-day meeting in Geneva that began Tuesday.
To date, the virus has infected more than 43,000 people and has killed 1,007, with 99% of the cases found in China. Two dozen other countries have reported 393 cases of the virus, with one death in the Philippines.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the epidemic was 'œ"very much an emergency'ť for China but also 'œone that holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world.'ť He said there was still a window of opportunity to shut down the outbreak.
At least 60 million people in central China are in a government-ordered lockdown aimed at halting the spread of the virus and health authorities around the world are racing to track down the contacts of infected people and isolate confirmed cases.
In Japan, more than 3,700 people remain quarantined aboard a cruise ship in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, after dozens of passengers and crew tested positive for the virus.
'œIt's hard to believe that just two months ago, this virus - which has come to captivate the attention of media, financial markets and political leaders - was completely unknown to us,'ť said Tedros.
The U.N. health agency said there were still many critical but unanswered questions about the virus, including what animals it came from, how exactly it is spread between people and how best to treat infected patients.
'œTo defeat this outbreak, we need answers to all those questions and more,'ť Tedros said.
Experts say it could still be months or even years before any approved treatments or vaccines are developed.
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Read all the AP stories about the coronavirus outbreak that emerged from China at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak.
A reporter walks near the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. Japan's Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said the government was considering testing everyone remaining on board and crew on the Diamond Princess, which would require them to remain aboard until results were available. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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A taxi driver looks out from his car as they pile up to wait for customers at the train station in Beijing, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. China's daily death toll from a new virus topped 100 for the first time and pushed the total past 1,000 dead, authorities said Tuesday after leader Xi Jinping visited a health center to rally public morale amid little sign the contagion is abating. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
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People wearing protective face masks walk on a street in the Central, the business district of Hong Kong, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. China's daily death toll from new virus has topped 100 for first time, with more than 1,000 total deaths recorded, the health ministry announced Tuesday, as the spread of the contagion shows little sign of abating while exacting an ever-rising cost. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
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Media gather outside the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. Japan's Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said the government was considering testing everyone remaining on board and crew on the Diamond Princess, which would require them to remain aboard until results were available. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Associated Press
A masked woman in a plastic rain coat walks on a street in Beijing, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. China's daily death toll from a new virus topped 100 for the first time and pushed the total past 1,000 dead, authorities said Tuesday after leader Xi Jinping visited a health center to rally public morale amid little sign the contagion is abating. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
The Associated Press
People wear protective suits as they smoke at the railway station as they arrive in Beijing, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. China's daily death toll from a new virus topped 100 for the first time and pushed the total past 1,000 dead, authorities said Tuesday after leader Xi Jinping visited a health center to rally public morale amid little sign the contagion is abating. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
The Associated Press
A deliver man uses his phone while waiting on a street of Beijing, China Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. China's daily death toll from a new virus topped 100 for the first time and pushed the total past 1,000 dead, authorities said Tuesday after leader Xi Jinping visited a health center to rally public morale amid little sign the contagion is abating. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
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