There have now been more than 70,000 cases of the virus - officially named COVID-19 - with the vast majority of those in China. The death toll stands at 1875, with all but four of those occurring on mainland China.

The study was released in the Chinese Journal of Epidemiology on Monday (local time) and analysed 44,672 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in China as of February 11.

Of all the cases, 80.9 percent of infections were classified as mild, 13.8 percent severe, and 4.7 percent as critical, according to BBC News.

The data showed that although the chance of death for those infected is low, it rises among those over 80.

Men were also more likely to die from the virus compared to women (2.8 percent, compared to 1.7 percent).

People suffering from cardiovascular disease are most at risk of dying if they become infected. Those with diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and hypertension are also at risk.

The paper found that 3019 health workers were suspected to have been infected with the disease, with 1716 of those cases confirmed.

By February 11, five health workers had died.

The latest data comes after a study released in January which looked at 99 early cases of the virus.

In that study, two-thirds of the victims were found to be male, and almost a third of them in their 50s.

Half of those infected also had underlying chronic diseases before falling sick, including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (40 patients) and diabetes (12).

Two New Zealanders have been confirmed to have been infected with the virus. They were exposed to it on the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Japan, which has been placed in lockdown.

So far 542 people on board the ship have contracted the virus. Those infected have been moved to hospitals in Japan, with thousands of people remaining on the ship and unable to leave.

Eleven Kiwis are included in those stuck aboard, though they are set to be evacuated on Wednesday along with Australian citizens.

Once leaving Japan they will be placed in quarantine for a further two weeks.