The World Health Organization on Thursday downplayed the danger of the coronavirus latching on to food packaging and urged people not to be afraid of the virus entering the food chain.

"People should not fear food, food packaging or delivery of food," WHO head of emergencies programme Mike Ryan told a briefing. "There is no evidence the food chain is participating in transmission of this virus."

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, Michael Shields and John Miller; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Hugh Lawson)