Although it remains to be seen whether the coronavirus will spread further into Europe, Dr Grzesiowski argued it has already found a foothold on the continent.
He said: “Right now, the number of cases rose from 20 to 150 in just three days.
“Clearly, the virus has broken through the barrier of only infecting people who have been to China.
“People who have not been there are falling ill.”
In a bid to halt the spread of COVID-19, authorities in Italy have quarantined dozens of small towns in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto.
source: express.co.uk