Coronavirus deaths exceed Sars fatalities in 2003

The number of coronavirus deaths has overtaken that of the Sars epidemic in 2003.

In China's Hubei province alone, the epicentre of the latest outbreak, the death toll now is put at 780 by regional health officials.

All but one of the overall total of 803 deaths have so far been in mainland China and Hong Kong.

In 2003, 774 people were killed by Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in more than two dozen countries.

More than 34,800 people have been infected with the new coronavirus worldwide, the vast majority in China.

Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency over the new outbreak.