Japan and the US have airlifted hundreds of their citizens from Wuhan, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak, as officials in China said the death toll from the disease had risen sharply overnight to 132, with nearly 1,500 new cases in the country, bringing the total number of people diagnosed to nearly 6,000.

A government-chartered plane carrying 206 Japanese nationals arrived in Tokyo from Wuhan on Wednesday morning. Two showed symptoms of pneumonia following scans, but a coronavirus diagnosis has not been confirmed, hospital representatives said. Two more have been admitted to hospital. Seven others with symptoms such as coughs and fever will undergo tests.

The rest of the passengers were sent home with instructions to stay in and not mix with people for 14 days. The Japanese authorities have dispatched a second plane to Wuhan to collect more of the 450 nationals awaiting evacuation.

Coronavirus live updates: US and Japanese citizens evacuated from Wuhan, China – latest news Read more

Pressure is mounting on China to control the spread of the disease. The country’s national health commission said on Wednesday that the total number of deaths from the flu-like virus rose by 26 on Tuesday, with almost all of the new cases in Hubei province. The governor of Hubei said the city of Huanggang, one of more than a dozen in the province under virtual lockdown, was suffering an especially severe outbreak, with 324 cases and five deaths.

Unicef said it had shipped six tonnes of respiratory masks and protective suits to Shanghai to protect health workers. “This coronavirus is spreading at a breakneck speed and it is important to put all the necessary resources into halting it,” said Unicef’s executive director, Henrietta Fore. “We may not know enough about the virus’s impact on children or how many may be affected – but we do know that close monitoring and prevention are key. Time is not on our side.”

The total number of confirmed cases rose to 5,974 – overtaking the 5,327 confirmed cases in mainland China during the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) epidemic. The Sars outbreak killed more than 770 people globally, including 349 in mainland China. The death rate from Sars, caused by a more virulent member of the coronavirus family than the Wuhan strain appears to be, was more than 10%. So far, the death rate among confirmed cases of coronavirus is 2%, and may be less if there are many mild cases that do not end up in hospital, as experts believe.

Quick guide What are coronavirus symptoms and should I go to a doctor? Show Hide What is Covid-19? Covid-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a pandemic. What are the symptoms this coronavirus causes? According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may also have a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion and aches and pains or diarrhoea. Some people report losing their sense of taste and/or smell. About 80% of people who get Covid-19 experience a mild case – about as serious as a regular cold – and recover without needing any special treatment. About one in six people, the WHO says, become seriously ill. The elderly and people with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions, are at a greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19. In the UK, the National health Service (NHS) has identified the specific symptoms to look for as experiencing either: a high temperature - you feel hot to touch on your chest or back

a new continuous cough - this means you’ve started coughing repeatedly As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work, and there is currently no vaccine. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system. Should I go to the doctor if I have a cough? Medical advice varies around the world - with many countries imposing travel bans and lockdowns to try and prevent the spread of the virus. In many place people are being told to stay at home rather than visit a doctor of hospital in person. Check with your local authorities. In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.

The first cases in the Middle East were reported in the United Arab Emirates. Four members of a Chinese family who had been in Wuhan and arrived in the UAE on 16 January for a visit were confirmed to have the virus. One member of the family sought medical help, reporting feeling unwell, a week after their arrival.

Officials in the US, meanwhile, said a chartered plane had landed in Anchorage, Alaska, with about 240 US citizens onboard, including staff from the US consulate in Wuhan.

The plane was to make a refuelling stop in Alaska before flying on to southern California, but passengers were to be re-screened in Anchorage for the virus, and hospitals were prepared to treat or quarantine people who may be infected.

British Airways said it had suspended all direct flights to and from mainland China after British authorities warned against “all but essential” travel to the country. The airline’s website shows no direct flights to China were available in January and February.

“We apologise to customers for the inconvenience, but the safety of our customers and crew is always our priority,” BA said in an statement.

Q&A How can I protect myself and others from the coronavirus outbreak? Show Hide The World Health Organization is recommending that people take simple precautions to reduce exposure to and transmission of the coronavirus, for which there is no specific cure or vaccine. The UN agency advises people to: Frequently wash their hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or warm water and soap

Cover their mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when sneezing or coughing

Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever or cough

Seek early medical help if they have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, and share their travel history with healthcare providers

Advice about face masks varies. Wearing them while out and about may offer some protection against both spreading and catching the virus via coughs and sneezes, but it is not a cast-iron guarantee of protection Many countries are now enforcing or recommending curfews or lockdowns. Check with your local authorities for up-to-date information about the situation in your area. In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.

Air France suspended its three weekly flights to Wuhan last week, but as of Wednesday morning said it was maintaining its 23 weekly flights to Beijing and Shanghai.

Cathay Pacific, which is based in Hong Kong, said it would gradually reduce capacity by 50% or more on its routes to mainland China from Thursday through to the end of March, while Indonesia’s Lion Air said it was halting all its flights to and from China. Other airlines said they were reducing their China services.

Australia said on Wednesday it would help “vulnerable or isolated” citizens leave Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, and quarantine them on Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean that is home to a detention centre for asylum seekers.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Wearing surgical masks, Takeo Aoyama, centre left, and Takayuki Kato, centre right, speak to journalists after returning home from Wuhan. Photograph: Haruka Nuga/AP

Britain is finalising plans to repatriate citizens from in and around Wuhan. The Department of Health has said it will quarantine those who return for 14 days, possibly at a military facility. That is a change in the line from the health secretary, Matt Hancock, who said on Monday in the House of Commons that returnees would be asked to stay at home and “self-isolate” for two weeks.

What is the coronavirus and how worried should we be? Read more

The change may come in response to protests by Britons in Wuhan, who said the advice was confusing and objected that they were being asked to make their own way back from the airport, which would mean coming into contact with many other people. Other countries are believed to be putting in quarantine measures, including Germany and France.

Play Video 3:18 Coronavirus and the voices of Wuhan: 'My anxiety is increasing day by day' – video

The European Union will fly out its citizens on two French planes this week, and South Korea was also due to evacuate. Several other countries were assessing their options.

The World Health Organization has not called for evacuation of other nationals from China. It has said it is for individual governments to decide and has suggested there may be other ways to keep them safe within China itself.

One of the Japanese evacuees, Takeo Aoyama, said he was relieved to be home. “We were feeling increasingly uneasy as the situation developed so rapidly and we were still in the city,” Aoyama, wearing a surgical mask, said at Haneda airport in Tokyo.

“We were not able to move freely, so we only had partial information. The restrictions on the flow of goods and transport were extremely strict.”

Wire agencies contributed to this report