The coronavirus outbreak is far from being contained.

Since the first case was reported in Wuhan, China, on December 31, it has spread across the globe to the United Kingdom, United States, Australia and New Zealand. The first New Zealand case was confirmed on Friday after a passenger in their 60s arrived in Auckland from Iran.

So how does this outbreak compare to other viruses that swept across the globe?

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DEATH RATES

In 59 days, from December 31, 2019, to Thursday, February 27, the coronavirus outbreak has killed 2804 people around the world. That averages out to 47.5 people a day.

In comparison, the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak killed 774 people in eight months - around 3.1 people a day - and between 2012 and 2019, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) killed 858 people- an average of 107.25 people a year, or around 0.3 people a day - according to the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

KYODO NEWS VIA AP A shopper has their temperature checked at a department store in Pyongyang, North Korea.

At the end of 2019, the case-fatality rate (CFR) - the number of infected people who died - was 34.4 per cent for MERS; around 11 per cent for SARS; and 63 per cent for the Ebola virus in West Africa, based on data published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Based on February 20 data from the World Health Organisation, the CFR for people in China was 3.8 per cent. That rate varies by location and has improved since the early stages of the outbreak.

Coronavirus hasn't killed nearly as many people as the common flu, which, according to the WHO, kills 650,000 people a year.

BSIP The human coronavirus causes respiratory infections (colds), and gastroenteritis.

FLU INFECTS MORE

Seasonal flu affects up to a billion people worldwide every year, and 3 million to 5m people develop severe flu, which can require hospitalisation.

The latest coronavirus infection count from WHO confirmed 83,652 people have contracted the virus around the world. If the infection rate continues at an average of 41,147 a month there will be almost half a million cases by the year's end.

In comparison, BMJ reported there were 8098 SARS infection cases in eight months (an average of 1012.25 every month), and 2494 cases of MERS over eight years.

Emanuele Cremaschi/ GETTY IMAGES In 59 days, from December 31, 2019, to Thursday, February 27, the coronavirus outbreak killed 2804 people around the world. That averages out to 47.5 people a day.

WHO IS THE MOST VULNERABLE?

While health experts are still learning about the virus, WHO believes it has a greater effect on older people and people with pre-existing medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes.

It said people with these conditions "appear to develop serious illness more often than others".

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US explained most COVID-19 cases occurred in adults and there was no evidence to suggest children are more susceptible.