The World Health Organisation is meeting this afternoon to decide if the coronovirus outbreak is a global emergency.
It has killed 17 people in China, infected hundreds and has two cities on lockdown.
Wuhan and Huanggang have a combined population of almost 20 million people.
Buses, flights, trains, subways and ferries have been stopped from leaving and residents have been told to stay put. However, people are reportedly defying that order.
The virus can be passed from person to person or animal to person, and Dr. Nathalie MacDermott says containing it could be difficult.
Dr. Michael Ryan from the World Health Organisation says they’ll decide today whether to deem it a global emergency:
Here at home, a patient who had returned to the country from China was brought into Dublin’s Mater Hospital last week with a suspected case of the virus, but it was quickly ruled out.
The HSE says it too is closely monitoring the outbreak, and that the risk of it coming to Ireland as of now is low.
Emergency medicine experts say people need to stay away from emergency rooms.
