How it spreads

Viruses can spread from human contact with animals. Scientists think MERS started in camels, according to the WHO. With SARS, scientists suspected civet cats were to blame. Officials do not yet know what animal may have caused the current outbreak in Wuhan.

When it comes to human-to-human transmission of the viruses, often it happens when someone comes into contact with an infected person's secretions, such as droplets in a cough.

Depending on how virulent the virus is, a cough, sneeze or handshake could cause exposure. The virus can also be transmitted by touching something an infected person has touched and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes. Caregivers can sometimes be exposed by handling a patient's waste, according to the CDC.

Human-to-human transmission has been confirmed for the Wuhan coronavirus, but experts are now trying to understand who is transmitting it most, who is at most risk and whether transmission is occurring mostly in hospitals or in the community. SARS and MERS were largely transmitted inside hospitals, Horby said. Some people are also considered to be "superspreaders."

The Wuhan coronavirus fatality rate is lower than for SARS and MERS, but still comparable to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, explains Neil Ferguson, professor of mathematical biology at Imperial College London.

"It is a significant concern, globally," Ferguson says, noting that we don't fully understand the severity.

Ferguson believes the fatality rate is likely to be lower due to an "iceberg" of milder cases we are yet to find, but he highlights that novel viruses spread much faster through a population.

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There is no vaccine to protect against this family of viruses, at least not yet. Trials for a MERS vaccine are underway. The US National Institutes of Health is working on a vaccine against the new virus, but it will be months until clinical trials get underway and more than a year until it might become available.

You may be able to reduce your risk of infection by avoiding people who are sick. Try to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Wash your hands often with soap and water and for at least 20 seconds.

Awareness is key. If you are sick and have reason to believe it may be the Wuhan coronavirus due to travel to the region or coming into contact with someone who has been there, you should let a health care provider know and seek treatment early.

Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, and disinfect the objects and surfaces you touch.

If traveling to China, be aware of symptoms and avoid live animal markets, which is where the latest outbreak began in Wuhan.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he is engaged in “intense conversations” with the White House and spoke to the Vice President on Tuesday about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

His administration sent a letter Tuesday regarding the Army Corps of Engineers and received a “response” this morning.

New Jersey needs more manpower, supplies and space, according to officials who are predicting the state will have a shortage of hospital beds much like the rest of the nation.

The state is bringing 260 beds online, 119 of them are in the northern part of the state, 11 in central region and 50 are in the southern part of the state. The state hopes to have another 227 beds online within the next three to four weeks, according to officials.

Bergen County College will be up and running by Friday as a testing site which will prioritize symptomatic patients along with health care workers and first responders. It can collect up to 2,500 specimens a day, officials said.

A man died in Santa Clara County from novel coronavirus, according to a statement from the public health department.

This is the sixth death in Santa Clara County and the 15th in California.

More data: In the US, at least 120 people have died as a result of COVID-19.

The number of cases in California currently stands at 612.

Santa Clara County has five new coronavirus cases, and another eight have been confirmed in San Francisco. No details of the severity or transmission have been provided.

“We caution the media and the public from relying too heavily on confirmed case count as an indicator of the situation in San Francisco,” the city’s Department of Emergency Management warned.

Northern Ireland’s schools will close starting Monday and will potentially remain closed until the summer holidays, First Minister Arlene Foster said Wednesday.

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom but has local control of some policy areas.

The United Kingdom coronavirus death toll has risen to 104 – in what is the biggest daily jump in deaths so far, according to National Health Service England.

On Wednesday, an additional 32 people, who tested positive for coronavirus, have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in England to 99.

In Scotland, three people with coronavirus have died; in Wales, two people died from the disease. These deaths bring the UK total to 104.

Across the UK, the total number of coronavirus cases is now 2,626.

There are now 7,038 confirmed and presumptive positive cases of novel coronavirus in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC says 97 people have died.

CNN’s tally relies on state totals and won’t always match the CDC’s count; CNN has counted more than 7,500 cases and 124 deaths.

The CDC says there are cases in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands. Of the cases the CDC is reporting, 269 are travel-related, 276 are from close-contact and a majority, 6,493, are still under investigation, the CDC website says.

The CDC says there are 46 cases among people who were aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, and three among people repatriated from China. These are counted separately from the US total.

On Tuesday, the CDC reported 4,226 cases. The CDC is updating its coronavirus case numbers on weekdays. CDC’s numbers close out at 4 p.m. the day before reporting. The most up-to-date case counts will come from states, CDC officials have said.