Coronavirus: Tough decisions on Olympics necessary - virologist

Tough decisions will have to be made about major global events such as the Olympics if the coronavirus is unable to be contained.

That is according to a top ESR virologist, who says there is a long slog ahead in dealing with the deadly illness.

Health officials confirmed there are no new suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus in New Zealand, but all foreigners who have left or travelled through China are banned from entering the country as a precaution.

Dr Erasmus Smit says it tends to be people with compromised immune systems who are succumbing to the virus, with their lungs eventually shutting down.

But he tells Lisa Owen healthy people are getting sick too.

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