Beijing, Jan. 26 -- China has started developing a vaccine against the rapidly-spreading deadly novel coronavirus strain that has claimed 56 lives and infected nearly 2,000 people in the country.

Xu Wenbo, a scientist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Sunday that scientists had successfully isolated the first strain of the virus, Efe news agency quoted the official newspaper People's Daily as saying.

The news comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping, following a meeting on Saturday, warned that the spread of the deadly illness was accelerating amid a fast-rising death toll.

Shanghai, one of the biggest cities in China, reported its first death due to the pandemic that has triggered panic across the count...