Africa's first case of the novel coronavirus has been confirmed in Egypt.

However, the country's health ministry has not revealed the nationality of the patient.

A joint statement released on Friday with the population ministry, states the patient showed no symptoms of the disease and is now in stable condition.

Egyptian authorities have quarantined the person affected by the virus and notified the World Health Organization (WHO).

The coronavirus outbreak began in China. It has infected more than 64,000 people globally, and killed nearly 1,400 people.

The official name of the virus is "COVID-19." It includes an acronym for coronavirus, while the "D" stands for disease. The 19 refers to the year the virus was first identified.