epa08252651 An undated handout picture made available by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows a scanning electron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2 (orange) -- also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19 -- isolated from a patient in the USA, emerging from the surface of cells (gray) cultured in the lab (issued 27 February 2020). The novel coronavirus is on the verge of spreading across the world as more cases are emerging outside China with outbreaks in South Korea, Italy and Iran. EPA/NIAID- RML/NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES