The Chinese Foreign Ministry has called on the United States not to overreact to the coronavirus outbreak and instead to work with China in combating the virus, China's People's Daily newspaper reported on Monday.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying condemned the US for not providing "any substantial help" to China and making a fuss about the virus outbreak.
The spokesperson added that despite the relatively large number of people infected, the death rate from the virus in China is rather low, only 2.1 percent, which is far lower compared to other infections like Ebola, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
Since it was identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Hubei province, the novel coronavirus has spread to more than 24 countries, including South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Australia, France, Germany, Canada, and the United States.
At least 425 fatalities have been registered in China so far, while one patient also died in the Philippines. In total, around 150 people have been infected with the new virus outside China.
Last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a global health emergency over the outbreak.