Pernille Henneberg of the US bank Citi told the BBC that Covid-19 would have a greater impact than the Sars outbreak.

This is because China is now much more important to the global economy than it was in 2003, when Sars killed 774 people.

Watch her interview with the BBC's Talking Business below:

Hugh Schofield
BBC News, Paris

At the weekend in Italy, at the Milan Fashion week, because of the coronavirus, Georgio Armani was forced to present his latest women’s collection behind closed doors.

Now the world of fashion has moved north to Paris, and once again it is China, the virus and the damage being done that are the obsessional focus of conversation.

Six Chinese designers who were booked to come have been forced to stay away – but more worrying is the absence of social media influencers such as Tao Liang – also known as Mr Bags – whose social media recommendations can literally trigger millions in sales.

Also absent are the Chinese buyers, who would normally be extremely active at the commercial salons that happen in parallel with the catwalk parades.

The big luxury operators – led by the French conglomerates LVMH and Kering – are putting on a brave face: as much as possible they’re streaming their shows live onto Chinese social media and hoping to stimulate buzz at a distance.

But the outlook is grim: Chinese customers aren’t travelling to shop, and they’re not shopping at home either. Meanwhile the Chinese supply chains that feed into the whole of the clothing industry are heavily disrupted.

As the head of LVMH, Bernard Arnault put it, if the virus lasts two or three months that’s manageable. If it lasts two years, that’s a whole other story.

As the virus spreads, it's important to know the symptoms, how it's detected, and - crucially - what to do if you think you might have it.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of this coronavirus (known as Covid-19) include coughing, a high temperature, and shortness of breath.

These are similar to other, much more common illnesses, including cold and flu - so if you have them, it doesn't necessarily mean you have Covid-19.

However, if you have these symptoms and have been to an affected country within the last 14 days - or have been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed - you should seek medical attention.

How dangerous is it?

People of all ages can catch the coronavirus.

However, it's particularly dangerous for older people and those with pre-existing health conditions, such as asthma and diabetes.

How do medics test for the virus?

Health professionals will take samples from you in order to test for the virus. These may include mucus, blood and stool samples.

You may be kept in isolation while you wait for the results, as a precaution.

Is there a medicine to prevent or treat the new virus?

In short, no - but you can take existing medicines to treat the symptoms while your body combats the illness.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, EPA

Amid fears around Iran's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, President Hassan Rouhani has appealed for calm, saying he expects the situation to be "normal" by this Saturday.

He was addressing the first meeting of the National HQ for Combating Corona, which was broadcast live by Iran's rolling news channel IRINN.

"From Saturday onwards, all processes would be as per normal in the country," he said. "If there is any special case, which the national HQ itself declares, then it would do so."

President Rouhani then urged people to go about their business and work as usual, and warned against listening to "conspiracies and fear-mongering of our enemies", which he said were being spread in an attempt to bring Iran to a standstill.

"People should be informed of all facts, no matter what - people should be informed about those affected, and if, God forbid, anyone passes away, people should be informed," he went on.

"People should not pay attention to some bizarre comments in cyberspace and by hostile media outlets."

The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus is 95, and the official death toll is 16 - the highest outside China.

We reported earlier that passengers landing in Ankara on a plane from Iran had been taken away for testing.

The Turkish health minister now says none of the passengers have tested positive for the virus.

Image source, EPA

Hugh Pym
BBC News Health Editor

England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty told me that he thinks it is still possible the virus can be contained.

He said the situation in Iran is extremely concerning and the death rate high - suggesting a much higher number of cases than reported.

He anticipates that deaths and cases in Italy will go up sharply as more cases come through.

But there is no change at present to the advice on travel. People going to northern Italy just need to report symptoms if they have them.

We reported earlier about the growing tension between religion and science in Iran.

Now, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said he's "deeply concerned" that Iran's government may have suppressed vital details about the outbreak in the country.

"The United States is deeply concerned by information indicating the Iranian regime may have suppressed vital details about the outbreak in that country," he told reporters today.

"All nations, including Iran, should tell the truth about the coronavirus and co-operate with international aid organisations."

Image source, Reuters

The official death toll in Iran is 16 - the highest number of deaths outside China - and the number of confirmed cases is 95.

But Iranians are worried that officials are underestimating the scale of the outbreak.

This is compounded by the fact that today, Iran's deputy health minister and a member of parliament both confirmed that they'd tested positive for the virus.

Switzerland's health ministry has confirmed the country's first case of coronavirus, according to Reuters.

It is not yet known where the patient is, or how they contracted the infection.

Spanish health authorities have identified a case of coronavirus in Catalonia on Tuesday, the first case in mainland Spain, news agency Reuters reports La Vanguardia newspaper as saying.

The case is the country's fourth after three infected tourists from Germany, Italy and Britain were detected in the Canary Islands and in Mallorca.

More details have emerged of Croatia's first confirmed case of coronavirus.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, speaking at a hospital in Zagreb, described the patient as a young man “showing mild symptoms”.

The country’s health minister said the patient had been in Milan last week before returning to Croatia.

Image source, Getty Images

As coronavirus spreads globally, it's also hitting the sports world.

Europe's football body Uefa has said it's not clear whether Euro 2020 - part of which is due to take place in Rome in June and July - will be affected by the coronavirus outbreak in Italy.

Of all the countries in Europe, Italy is the worst hit so far. More than 260 people have been diagnosed with the virus, and seven have died. However, there have been no confirmed cases in Rome.

"We are at the waiting stage," Michele Uva, who is on Uefa's executive committee, told local media.

"We are monitoring country by country, and football must follow the orders of the individual countries. The sporting path will only be closed if the situation gets worse."

A number of sports events due to be held in Italy have been cancelled, while at least six of 10 scheduled matches in the Serie A football tournament next weekend will be played indoors.

The Italian Fencing Federation also said it had cancelled a World Cup event that was going to be held in Padova from 6 to 8 March.

The Lebanese government has banned its residents from flying out of the country for pilgrimages.

Flights to coronavirus-hit countries have also been restricted, the information minister said.

Lebanese Muslims regularly fly to Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia for religious trips.

But just last week Lebanon declared its first confirmed case of the virus - a 45-year-old woman who had returned to the country after visiting Iran.

Image source, AFP

We told you earlier about how guests in a Tenerife hotel found out the building had been put in lockdown - with a note under the door.

Here's British tourist John Turton explaining what happened next.

If you're just joining us and want to catch up, here's a summary of today's developments:

• Iran's deputy health minister has tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating
• Italy has discovered its first case outside of the quarantined area in the north of the country
• Guests at a hotel in Tenerife have been told they'll need to stay inside the complex while further tests are carried out on a patient there
• Austria and Croatia have recorded their first cases
• An Iraqi family of four - recently returned from Iran - have tested positive for the virus

Image source, GETTY IMAGES

With new cases of the coronavirus being diagnosed around the world, it's hard to predict where it will pop up next.

The disease has already become a nightmare for travellers and the tourism industry.

Mike from West Yorkshire, England, told the BBC that he has prepared for his trip to watch a test match in Sri Lanka next month by buying hand gels and a surgical mask.

"My flight goes through Dubai, which could be a bit of a hotspot as it's such a large airport," he said.

"I'm concerned, but my wife is paranoid. She's telling me I won't come back!"

Mike has paid several thousand pounds for the nine-day trip, but is reluctant to cancel.

"I'm feeling hopeful. The England team are still going, and in terms of the number of cases, I'm probably safer there than I am here."

Image source, AFP

The reports that we are receiving from cities around Iran suggest that the numbers of cases is actually much higher than the Iranian authorities are giving.

Unlike in Italy, Iranian officials are refusing to impose quarantines in areas affected by the outbreak. They say quarantines are old-fashioned and that they do not believe in them.

The Shia shrines in the cities of Qom and Mashhad are still open, despite Qom being a hotbed of the virus.

There are grand ayatollahs in Qom who believe that its shrine, which attracts millions of pilgrims from around the world, and its important seminary, which hosts many foreign religious students, are the pride of the Shia world.

Shutting them down would be a huge step for the clerics and not one that they would be likely to take unless they come under international pressure.

We can see the clear conflict between religious fundamentalism and science.

Iran also lacks the medical equipment it needs to help contain the outbreak. It has run out of masks and does not have enough testing kits.

A number of medical workers have also been infected, so there is a worry that they will soon run out of doctors and nurses to attend to those with the disease.

The majority of Iranians are extremely worried.

Guests at the hotel where an Italian man diagnosed with coronavirus was staying will remain in lockdown until a second test conclusively confirms the infection, a Spanish government spokeswoman has said.

"For the time being, the guests will stay at the hotel until this second test and, depending on the results, appropriate health measures will be taken," Maria Jesus Montero said.

She added that the wife of the man has been kept in isolation and is being tested for the virus too.

A school in Chester has closed after staff and pupils returned from a skiing trip to a coronavirus-hit region of Italy.

Headteacher of Cransley School in Northwich, Richard Pollock, said some pupils who had been on the trip to the Alpine region of Bormio were "showing flu-like symptoms".

Read more here.

Meanwhile some staff and pupils at a school in Huddersfield have been sent home and told to go into self-isolation after also returning from a skiing trip in northern Italy.

The group - 19 pupils and four members of staff - from Salendine Nook High School Academy returned from their trip via Milan airport on Saturday.