VILNIUS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Lithuania reported on Friday its first confirmed case of coronavirus, the government said, as the disease spreads rapidly worldwide.

Hopes that the virus would be contained to China vanished, with countries beginning to stockpile medical equipment and investors taking flight in expectation of a global recession. (Reporting by Andrius Sytas; Writing by Clarence Fernandez; Editing by Himani Sarkar)