The new virus, which causes an upper respiratory illness that ranges from mild to deadly, has spread to 33 countries since it emerged in Wuhan, China, in late December, and more countries report infections almost daily. Although most of the 80,239 confirmed cases are in China, the World Health Organization on Monday said the epidemic could become a pandemic, defined as an outbreak of a new disease-causing germ that spreads easily, person-to-person, around the globe. So far, 2,700 people have died, including 34 outside of China, according to WHO.