Turkey sends protective gear to Italy and Spain

Turkey has sent a planeload of masks, hazmat suits, goggles and disinfectants to Italy and Spain to help the countries combat the new coronavirus outbreak.

State-run Anadolu Agency said a military cargo plane carrying the medical equipment took off from an air base near Ankara on Wednesday.

The equipment was produced by military-owned factories and sewing workshops.

They were being sent in crates displaying in Italian and Spanish the words of 13th century Sufi Poet Jalaluddin Rumi: "There is hope after despair and many suns after darkness."

The report did not say how many masks and other equipment were dispatched.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

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