COVID-19

The WHO chief also announced a new official name for the disease, saying that the agency has dubbed it COVID-19.

The "CO" stands for "corona", "VI" stands for "virus", "D" for disease, and "19" for the year 2019, as the virus was first officially confirmed in December last year, according to Ghebreyesus.

The UN health agency intentionally avoided names that could be linked to a geographical region, an animal, or a group of people, he said.

'We are not defenseless'

The WHO is currently hosting a conference of 400 medical experts who should prepare a "roadmap" for the outbreak response, including discussion on possible treatments.

"They will take time to develop, but in the meantime, we are not defenseless," Ghebreyesus said, noting that a first vaccine "could be ready in 18 months."

Ghebreyesus also recommended washing your hands, keeping at a distance from people who are coughing, and — if you are coughing yourself — covering your mouth with a tissue or your elbow.

There are now more than 44,200 confirmed cases across China, based on previously released figures from the government.

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