About 3.4% of those infected with the new coronavirus have died, far more than victims of seasonal influenza, which are below 1%. This was stated today at a press conference by the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“Covid-19 spreads less efficiently than the flu. It does not appear to be transmitted by people who are not ill. It causes more severe illness than the flu and there is still no vaccine or treatment for it. But it can be stopped”, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He urged people around the world to stop stocking up on masks and gloves. The Director-General of the World Health Organization expressed concern that the new coronavirus has led to a shortage of safeguards that are vital for medics fighting the Covid-19 epidemic. “We cannot stop Covid-19 without protecting our healthcare professionals”, added he.

In the meantime, French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the state will confiscate all supplies and manufacturing of face masks and distribute them to medical personnel and those infected with the virus.

Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has said he will introduce controls on disinfectant gel prices if excessive profit margins are observed in the next few days.

The death toll from the new coronavirus in Italy has reached 79. According to the local statistics, 27 deaths have been reported in the country in the last 24 hours. The total number of infected in Italy – the worst-hit country in Europe – has also increased significantly – to 2,502.

A British guest at a quarantined hotel on the Spanish island of Tenerife has been diagnosed with the new coronavirus. The Briton, who tested positive last night, has so far not been kept in isolation in his room as he had no symptoms of the infection. Last week, 10 people were diagnosed at the hotel with the virus – all of them from the same Italian tourist group.

The total number of infected in Spain is around 150.