Britain's Prince William apparently makes light of virus

Britain's Prince William appeared to joked about the spread of the new coronavirus at the beginning of March as he spoke to emergency workers at a reception hosted by Britain's Ambassador to Ireland in Dublin's Guinness Storehouse.

William was heard saying: "I bet everyone's like 'I've got coronavirus', and you're like 'no you've just got a cough'."

On Wednesday William's 71-year-old father Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, tested positive for the virus.

The prince's Clarence House office said he was showing mild symptoms of COVID-19 and was self-isolating at a royal estate in Scotland.

It said his wife Camilla tested negative for the virus.

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.

The new coronavirus has caused a global pandemic that has sickened at least 460,000, killed over 20,000 worldwide, crippled economies and forced restrictions on the movement of millions of people in an effort to stop the virus from spreading further and overwhelming health care systems.