Developers of plague simulation game urge public to get coronavirus info from health authorities

Game developers of Plague Inc. urged the public to get information about the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV) from local and global health authorities.

In the realistic simulation game, players can destroy the world with a pathogen that evolves into a deadly plague.

Independent game studio Ndemic Creations said their website went offline last week because of the high number of players, a common spike whenever there is an outbreak of disease.

"[P]lease remember that Plague Inc. is a game, not a scientific model and that the current coronavirus outbreak is a very real situation which is impacting a huge number of people," a statement read. "We would always recommend that players get their information directly from local and global health authorities."

Our website is currently offline due to very high player numbers. I'm copying our statement on the coronavirus outbreak here so people can still see it.https://t.co/pA6CUS7nJI pic.twitter.com/StXP6aemDe

— Plague Inc. / Rebel Inc. (@NdemicCreations) January 24, 2020

"We specifically designed the game to be realistic and informative, while not sensationalizing serious real-world issues. This has been recognized by the CDC and other leading medical organizations around the world," Ndemic said.

They shared a World Health Organization (WHO) publication where the public could get reliable information about the nCoV.

The Philippines confirmed its first nCoV case on Thursday.

The patient was a Chinese woman who flew to the Philippines from Wuhan, China. According to Senator Bong Go, she was confined in San Lazaro Hospital.

On Friday, the WHO declared the China virus as a global emergency.

The nCoV claimed the lives of 170 people in China, and has infected more than 7,800 people around the world. —Angelica Y. Yang/MGP, GMA News