India, Jan. 21 -- WHO to convene emergency meeting on January 22, 2020

China has officially confirmed human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus even as the deadly pathogen continued its march across the country and Asia.

The virus has already infected more than 200 people, the majority in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. On January 20, 2020, cases were reported from China's political and economic capitals, Beijing and Shanghai. One-odd cases have been reported from Japan, Thailand and South Korea. Three deaths have also happened.

Earlier, it was thought that the virus was zoonotic in nature, that is, it spread from animals to human beings, primarily seafood available in a market in Wuhan.

"The head of a Chinese government e...