A meeting of the World Health Organisation is now in progress in Geneva to consider declaring outbreak of corona virus in China, an emergency. The UN body will decide if the outbreak is a matter of international concern.

The meeting is important because the WHO thinks immediate and coordinated international action may be needed to contain the virus infection. If the outbreak is declared an emergency, the UN body may advise countries to take tighter quarantine measures.

In China, 9 people have died of corona virus infection and the infection has spread to several cities including Wuhan, Beijing and Shanghai.

The virus causes illnesses ranging from common cold to acute respiratory syndromes. A total of 440 cases of pneumonia caused by the virus has been reported in China, Thailand, Japan and South Korea.

India has already issued a travel warning. Several countries have also started screening travellers from China to detect symptoms of syndromes.