Asian shares plunge after virus declared pandemic

Asian shares plunged on Thursday after the World Health Organization declared the new virus a pandemic and indexes sank on Wall Street.

Japanese financial markets tumbled after United States President Donald Trump announced a 30-day travel ban on Europe in response to the outbreak.

Japan benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 5.17% in morning trading to 18,412.24.

As of 11:15 am (0315GMT) in Taipei, Taiwan's main stock index dropped 446.64 points, or 4.10%, to 10,447.11.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

According to the WHO, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.