Men are 65 per cent more likely than women to die from coronavirus, according to statistics.

Figures from the World Health Organization and Chinese scientists have revealed that 1.7 per cent of women who catch the virus will die compared to 2.8 per cent of men, even though neither sex is more likely to catch it.

More than 98,000 people around the world have now been diagnosed with the virus, which causes a disease called COVID-19, and at least 3,383 have died.

Some experts have put the higher risk among men down to higher smoking and drinking rates – both habits weaken the immune system, making people more likely to get ill.

The elderly and infirm have also been found to more at risk of coronavirus, with 10.5 per cent of heart disease patients expected to die if they catch the deadly virus.

Death rates among people with diabetes – of which there are four million in the UK and 34m in the US – are expected to be around 7.3 per cent, while six per cent of patients who have high blood pressure might die if infected.

Some 5.6 per cent of cancer sufferers infected with the coronavirus would be expected to die along with 6.3 per cent of people with long-term lung diseases.

In the US, at least 233 people have now been confirmed to have the coronavirus, and 12 have died from it, while in the UK there has been one death among 116 cases.

Figures from the World Health Organization and Chinese scientists has revealed that 1.7 per cent of woman who catch the virus will die compared to 2.8 per cent of men (pictured, a graphic showing those most likely at risk from the virus)

High containment ambulances in the emergency room of the Cotugno hospital in Naples where a patient is seen suffering from coronavirus

Tehran's municipality worker employee wearing protective gear sprays disinfectant to sanitize a taxi terminal on Thursday

The number of cases rose above 96,000 worldwide with over 3,300 deaths in some 85 countries

The male-female analysis was produced by the statistics website Worldometer, which is tracking the outbreak in real-time.

It added that men were also disproportionately likely to die during the SARS and MERS outbreaks, which were caused by extremely similar coronaviruses in China and Saudi Arabia.

Professor Paul Hunter, from the University of East Anglia, said women may simply have better immune systems and be biologically better at fighting off the virus.

'Some of the differences are probably due to men smoking more and being chronic abusers of alcohol, but also, women are intrinsically different to men in their immune response,' he told The Daily Telegraph.

The UK announced its first coronavirus death on home soil yesterday after a patient, believed to be a woman in her 70s, died in a hospital in Reading.

The death came as the number of infections in the country has doubled over the past two days from 51 to 116.

Meanwhile in the US, which declared its first official case of the infection on January 20, 12 people have died – the 12th was recorded in Kings County, Washington yesterday.

Age is a major factor in how seriously ill the coronavirus is likely to make someone.

Those aged 80 years or older are most at risk, with 14.8 per cent of people catching the disease in that age bracket expected to die.

EVERY COUNTRY 'WILL FACE MONTHS OF DISRUPTION' BECAUSE OF THE OUTBREAK People around the world braced for months of disruptions from the new virus as its unrelenting spread brought ballooning infections, economic fallout and sweeping containment measures. 'Countries should be preparing for sustained community transmission,' Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, leader of the World Health Organization, said of the 2-month-old virus outbreak. 'Our message to all countries is: This is not a one-way street. We can push this virus back. Your actions now will determine the course of the outbreak in your country.' In places around the globe, a split was developing. China has been issuing daily reports of new infections that are drastically down from their highs, factories there are gradually reopening and there is a growing sense that normalcy might not be that far off. Meanwhile, countries elsewhere are seeing escalating caseloads and a litany of cancellations, closures, travel bans and supply shortages. There are about 17 times as many new infections outside China as in it, WHO said, with widening outbreaks in South Korea, Italy and Iran responsible for a majority. 'The virus doesn't care about race and belief or color. It is attacking us all, equally,' said Ian MacKay, who studies viruses at the University of Queensland in Australia. 'We're looking at a pandemic in all practical reality.' Advertisement

However, the UK Government's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, yesterday reassured the public that not old person who catches the disease will be 'a goner'.

And the younger someone is, the less chance they have of dying.

Between 60 and 69 years old the death rate is around 3.6 per cent, while it is more like 1.3 per cent for those aged 50 to 59.

For people in their 40s this drops to 0.4 per cent, and it's just 0.2 per cent for those in their 30s.

Children do not seem to catch the virus very often, according to data from China, and there are no high-profile reports of children dying.

Almost 300 million students worldwide faced weeks at home with Italy and India the latest to shut schools, as health officials on Thursday warned many countries were not doing enough to fight the outbreak.

The number of cases rose above 96,000 worldwide with over 3,300 deaths in some 85 countries.

The Paris marathon, Russia's main business forum and Italy's final match against England in the Six Nations Championship on March 14 were among the events cancelled or postponed.

In the UK forty-five patients have already been told to self-isolate at home instead of getting hospital treatment because they have minor flu-like symptoms, amid mounting fears overwhelmed NHS hospitals won't be able to cope with an inevitable outbreak.

The guidance is at odds with guidelines set out by the European Centre for Disease Control, which says patients must be separated from the public and isolated in hospital in the first stages of an epidemic.

The vast majority of cases and infections have still been in China, in its Hubei province of which Wuhan is the capital city, but the situation there is coming under control some two months after it began.

Elsewhere in the world, however, under-prepared countries are facing uncontrollable outbreaks and surging numbers of deaths.

In South Korea, more than 6,500 people have caught the infection and 40 have died.

Italy, the worst-hit Western nation, has recorded 3,858 infections and 148 amid an outbreak which began in its skiing resorts in the Alpine north.

And Iran, where an epidemic has happened at breakneck speed and infected senior politicians, there are 3,513 confirmed cases and 107 deaths on record.

A woman is pictured wearing a face mask yesterday at Crufts, a dog show in Birmingham which is expected to attract thousands of visitors

Waterbeach Surgery in Cambridge closed yesterday and was seen being scrubbed by medics in hazmat suits. The practice described the move as a 'routine precautionary measure'

The disease has doubled in Britain in two days to 116 and health chiefs revealed patients with mild symptoms will be asked to stay at home instead of being treated in hospital

WHAT ARE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES DOING TO TRY AND STOP CORONAVIRUS SPREADING? Italy, which is battling its own crisis with more than 3,000 people infected and 107 dead, has urged residents to avoid kissing and has closed all its schools for a fortnight. The government has put 11 towns into total lockdown and is also considering closing cinemas and theatres and banning large public events, The Guardian reported. People over the age of 75 have been told to stay at home to avoid getting ill. In France, a country with around 285 infections, people have been advised to stop using the traditional cheek kiss greeting, la bise, and officials are urging citizens to wash their hands regularly. The government has commandeered the entire country's supply of face masks so it can make sure there are enough for medical workers and coronavirus patients. Supermarket shelves are reportedly being stripped bare in Germany, where the government advises that households always keep at least 10 days' worth of supplies in case of a disaster. The outbreak in Germany has worsened in recent days and there are now at least 349 people confirmed to have the infection – more than any county in the Far East except China or South Korea. And in Spain, where there have been 222 cases, officials have advised that crowds be banned from some international sports matches and that large events be cancelled. Advertisement

Meanwhile, France (423 cases, 7 deaths) has admitted an epidemic – when a disease keeps spreading for a long period of time in one country or region – is inevitable.

And the virus is also spreading fast in Germany, where there are now at least 545 infections.

Some nations have implemented extraordinary measures, with UNESCO saying on Wednesday that school closures in more than a dozen countries have affected 290.5 million children.

But the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday that several countries were not showing 'the level of political commitment' needed to 'match the level of the threat we all face'.

'This is not a drill,' WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters. 'This epidemic is a threat for every country, rich and poor.'

Britain and Switzerland reported their first deaths from the outbreak on Thursday, while Bosnia and South Africa confirmed their first cases and Algeria said 16 members of the same family had been infected.

A British United Nations employee was one of four people to test positive for the virus in Senegal, in the UN's first case among staff.

Next week's session of the European parliament will also be moved from Strasbourg to Brussels due to 'significantly higher health risks'.

Virus fears also affected the joyful Indian celebration of Holi, in which Hindu revelers celebrate the arrival of spring with bursts of color, including bright powders smeared on faces.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders said they wouldn't attend Holi events and the Holi Moo Festival in New Delhi was canceled.

Palestinian officials closed the legendary Church of the Nativity in the biblical city of Bethlehem indefinitely, weeks ahead of the busy Easter holiday.

Members of the World Health Organization arrive at an airport in Tehran earlier this week after arriving on a UAE military transport plane

Foreign tourists visit the Church of the Nativity, revered as the birthplace of Jesus, in Bethlehem yesterday just hours before the site is due to close

The Christian holy site closed indefinitely from 4pm yesterday after suspected virus cases emerged in the town.

The news is a blow to tens of thousands of worshippers who were expected to descend on the church for Easter next month.

Jeres Qumsiyeh, a spokesman for the Palestinian tourism ministry, said the church would be closed 'until further notice'.

All tourists have been barred from entering the West Bank, after four suspected coronavirus cases were found in Bethlehem, authorities said.

Most tourists to the West Bank visit Bethlehem and its fellow biblical city of Jericho.

As the rest of the world prepares anti-virus barriers, Chinese manufacturers gradually reopened their factories.

Meanwhile the EU warned it might be necessary to boost supplies of protective clothing with several countries facing shortages, as it confirmed it was mulling taking on health workers still studying for their qualifications.

EU health ministers are due to discuss the coronavirus outbreak at a meeting in Brussels today.

People throw dry coloured powder which will be used in Holi celebrations in India - which PM Narendra Modi will no longer attend

A crowd of people daubed in vibrant colours celebrate Holi in the town of Barsana, northern India, yesterday amid fears that the festival could help spread coronavirus

People visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, West Bank, on Thursday. The Nativity Church in Bethlehem, where Christians believe Jesus was born, closed indefinitely from 4pm yesterday after suspected virus cases emerged in the town.

Iran has also closed schools and universities. Now it has introduced checkpoints to limit travel between major cities. Iranians were urged to reduce their use of paper money.

Amid the string of bad news, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged state television to offer 'happier' programs to entertain those stuck at home.

'I urge all artists, scientists, psychologists and all who can bring smiles to people's faces, come into the social media,' he said.

Brian Hook, the US special representative for Iran, said the United States offered humanitarian assistance to help Iran deal with its outbreak but 'the regime rejected the offer.' He said the offer would stand.

In the United States, where 12 have died from the virus, hundreds of people were placed in self-quarantine due to cases in a New York suburb.

And a school district north of Seattle with 22,000 students announced it will close for up to two weeks because of coronavirus concerns.

Financial markets remain volatile as shaky investors continue to weigh the size of the epidemic's dent on the global economy.

The US stock market was down in early trading Thursday. Analysts say more yo-yo moves on global markets are likely as long as the number of new infections continues to accelerate.

The OPEC oil cartel called for a deep production cut to keep crude prices from falling further as disruption to global business from the coronavirus slashes demand from air travel and industry.

Oil ministers from the 14 OPEC countries decided at a meeting Thursday to push for a cut of 1.5 million barrels a day, or about 1.5% of total world supply.

Across the globe, travelers faced ever-greater disruptions, as countries sought to keep the virus out. But South Africa confirmed its first case Thursday, becoming the seventh African nation to report infections. Britain and Switzerland reported their first coronavirus deaths.

'The virus doesn't care about race and belief or color. It is attacking us all, equally,' said Ian MacKay, who studies viruses at the University of Queensland in Australia.

The outlook for the travel industry was increasingly grim. The International Air Transport Association said the outbreak could cost airlines as much as $113 billion in lost revenue. The struggling British airline Flybe collapsed Thursday amid sinking demand.

Healthcare professionals wearing protective suits and healthcare masks at work inside the isolation area of the Amedeo di Savoia hospital in Turin, northern Italy on Thursday

Government officials make phone calls to members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus to check if they have symptoms of COVID-19 at the Goyang City Hall in Goyang, South Korea

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a daily press briefing on the new coronavirus dubbed COVID-19, at the WHO headquarters on Monday

Australia banned travelers from South Korea who aren't Australian citizens or permanent residents, following similar bans for China and Iran.

Indonesia announced restrictions on travelers from parts of Iran, Italy and South Korea after previously banning those coming in from China. The United Arab Emirates warned its people not to travel anywhere abroad.

South Africa also confirmed its first virus case yesterday, saying the patient was a a 38-year-old man who had travelled to Italy.

The case in South Africa is the first in the southern part of the continent and the latest confirmed case in sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria and Senegal.

'This morning,... the National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed that a suspected case of COVID-19 has tested positive,' Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said.

The case was detected in the country's eastern Kwa-Zulu Natal province.

The patient and his wife were part of a group of 10 people who arrived back in South Africa from Italy on March 1.

Two days later, on March 3, he consulted a private general practitioner with a fever, headache, sore throat and a cough.

Germany's Lufthansa and its subsidiaries Austrian Airlines and Swiss said they will cancel all flights to and from Israel for three weeks starting Sunday after Israeli authorities announced tough restrictions on travelers from several countries because of the new virus.

A state visit to Japan by Chinese President Xi Jinping was postponed. It was to have been the first for a Chinese leader since 2008.

How coronavirus spread around the world: Animated graphic shows how severely each country was hit over the last two months

A graphic shows the shocking spread of the deadly coronavirus that has infected more than 97,000 people and killed over 3,000.

Coronavirus has been found in over 80 countries worldwide and the graphic - created with data from the World Health Organization - shows just how rapidly it has spread.

It comes as the UK yesterday confirmed its first coronavirus death in an 'elderly person with underlying health conditions'.

Coronavirus has been found in over 80 countries worldwide and the graphic - created with data from the World Health Organization - shows just how rapidly it has spread

Coronavirus began when the WHO was alerted by Chinese authorities to a number of pneumonia-like cases in the city of Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei Province

The UK's first coronavirus death was an 'older patient who had underlying health conditions' who was being treated at the Royal Berkshire Hospital

The disease has doubled in Britain in two days to 116 and health chiefs revealed patients with mild symptoms will be asked to stay at home instead of being treated in hospital.

NHS officials revealed the patient, who hasn't been identified, tested positive for the killer infection last night at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading before succumbing to the illness yesterday.

It is unclear if they were taken to a specialist hospital for treatment.

No further details about the patient were released but the hospital trust admitted they had 'previously been in and out of hospital'.

Supermarket shelves have been seen stripped of home cleaning products – the chief medical officer yesterday said the virus can survive on hard surfaces for up to three days

Health chiefs fear they caught the virus in the UK because they had not recently travelled abroad – eight of the 29 cases confirmed yesterday were patients who caught the deadly virus on British soil.

Elderly coronavirus patients are at higher risk of suffering deadly complications because of their weaker immune systems.

England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said: 'I offer my sincere condolences to their family and friends.'

Chopped tomatoes have flown off the shelves in a Tesco store. People have said they are setting up 'contingency plans' in case a disaster strikes in the UK

A passenger wears a face mask while riding the London Underground yesterday as infections rapidly approached triple digits in the UK

Pedestrians wear face masks as they walk through Piccadilly Circus - normally a bustling tourist hotspot - in central London

In Italy - which has seen the worst outbreak in Europe - had its highest number of coronavirus deaths in a single day with 41 new fatalities.

The latest figures - the highest the country has seen in one day - brings the death toll to 148.

It comes as Italy announced a clampdown on people visiting their elderly relatives in its latest bid to contain the deadly disease, that infected a further 769 yesterday bringing the total confirmed cases to 3,858.

Coronavirus began when the WHO was alerted by Chinese authorities to a number of pneumonia-like cases in the city of Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei Province.

The data for the latest graphic is collected from the WHO, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), China's National Health Commission (NHC), and the Chinese medical community website DXY that combines data from China's NHC and CDC.