Iran battles coronavirus

Iranian authorities are contradicting each other on just how much the coronavirus outbreak has grown. Officials in the hardest-hit city of Qom on Monday reported 50 people had died of the disease since Feb. 13. But Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Iraj Harirchi insisted the death toll stood at 12 people nationwide, with 61 confirmed cases. He said Qom officials might have mixed in some flu-related deaths in their count.

Where else is the disease spreading? In South Korea, the total number of cases rose to 833, with seven deaths so far. Italy faces the largest number of cases outside of Asia at 152. Until last week, the nation had reported only three patients with coronavirus. The outbreak that began in China has now infected more than 79,000 people globally.

Dig deeper: Read Julie Borg’s report in Beginnings about the international quest to find a cure or vaccine for the virus.