2019 novel coronavirus compared to other major viruses
VIRUS
YEAR IDENTIFIED
CASES
DEATHS
FATALITY
RATE
NUMBER OF COUNTRIES
Ebola
Nipah
SARS
MERS*
COVID-19**
1976
1998
2002
2012
2020
33,577
513
8,096
2,494
5,128,492
13,562
398
774
858
333,489
40.4%
77.6%
9.6%
34.4%
6.5%
9
2
29
28
188
*As of November 2019
**As of May 22, 2020
Sources: Johns Hopkins, CDC, World Health Organization, New England Journal of Medicine,
Malaysian Journal of Pathology, CGTN
The dramatic spike in the Wuhan virus reported cases
Sources: World Health Organization, Wuhan Municipal Health Committees, NetEase
COVID-19**