Chinese authorities concealed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak, under-reported both total cases and deaths, U.S. intelligence community has concluded.

Bloomberg reported late Wednesday that the intelligence conveyed the confidential report to the White House, citing three U.S. officials.

The website said in a piece that the officials asked to speak on the condition of anonymity as the report is secret, and rejected to detail its contents. According to Bloomberg, China’s reporting of cases and the number of fatalities is "intentionally incomplete."

"China’s numbers are fake," the website also reported, citing two of the officials.

The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.

After first appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 180 countries and territories, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The data shows over 860,000 cases have been reported worldwide since last December, with the death toll over 42,000 and more than 178,000 recoveries.