Pictures uploaded to social media on January 25, 2020 by the Central Hospital of Wuhan show medical staff attending to a patient, in Wuhan, China. THE CENTRAL HOSPITAL OF WUHAN VIA WEIBO /via REUTERS

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has confirmed 1,287 cases of patients infected with the new coronavirus as of Jan. 24, while the death toll from the virus has risen to 41, the National Health Commission said on Saturday.

The virus originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei late last year and has spread to Chinese cities including Beijing and Shanghai, as well as the United States, Thailand, South Korea and Japan.