UPDATE 1-Healthcare company Novacyt launches new coronavirus test

Healthcare company Novacyt said on Friday it had launched a new molecular test for the coronavirus currently afflicting China and other parts of the world.

The company said its Primerdesign coronavirus test could detect the 2019 strain of the virus, adding it believed this would differentiate it from other current tests which it said were less specific. "Over the last few days, we have seen significant early demand for our 'genesig® 2019-nCoV' test from over 10 countries," CEO Graham Mullis said in a statement.

"We believe our assay is the first European test to be made available and will be introduced this weekend at the Medlab Expo in the Middle East," added Mullis. More than 200 people have been killed by the virus, with some 9,820 people infected around the world.

The virus is believed to have originated in a food market illegally selling wildlife in Wuhan. About 60 million people in Hubei province are living under virtual lockdown.