Coronavirus is "public enemy number one" and poses a greater global threat than terrorism, leading doctors have warned.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has given a new name to the disease that has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people in China.
The virus will now officially be known as COVID-19 - CO stands for corona, VI for virus, D for disease and 19 for the year it emerged.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of WHO, said virus outbreaks could bring serious upheavals.
He added: "To be honest, a virus is more powerful in creating political, economic and social upheaval than any terrorist attack.
"It is public enemy number one. It's number one enemy to the whole world and to the whole humanity."
He urged countries to invest in their health systems and stressed the importance of being prepared.
It was also said it would be an estimated 18 months until the first vaccine for this virus was available.
Officials added that they had gone to great lengths to ensure the name of the virus did not refer to a geographical location, animal or group of people.
As of Tuesday evening, a total of 1,358 people had been tested for coronavirus in the UK, of which 1,350 were confirmed negative and eight positive, the Department of Health said.
