The coronavirus outbreak that has swept through China has left more than 2,500 people dead and cities locked down by the authorities. The rapid spread through the world, with new clusters in Iran and Italy, has raised new fears of an uncontrollable global pandemic. 

The Guardian’s Beijing bureau chief, Lily Kuo, tells Rachel Humphreys that what began as a health crisis has spiralled into a political crisis and is in danger of also becoming an economic crisis. 

Also today: Michael Safi on a humanitarian breakthrough as a small number of ‘mercy flights’ carrying injured children have been allowed to leave the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, after lengthy negotiations between Houthis and government officials.