Authorities have started to shutdown much of India's 1.3 billion people to contain the outbreak.

People were ordered to stay home in a bid to stop the coronavirus pandemic from spreading and overwhelming its fragile health care system as it has done elsewhere.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

Asian Image:

People stand in marked positions to buy essential commodities from a grocery store in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, March 25. (AP/Rafiq Maqbool)

Asian Image:

A deserted train station during a lockdown as a precautionary measure against COVID-19 in Jammu, India, Tuesday, March 24, 2020. 

Asian Image:

Indians crowd around a vegetable seller in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool).

Asian Image:

Indian paramilitary soldiers wearing face masks and gloves stand guard outside a mosque as police and local authorities clear the protest site of Shaheen Bagh as part of virus-containment measures, in New Delhi, India.

Asian Image:

Passengers wearing masks as a precautionary measure against the new virus are seen inside a train in Jammu, India, Monday, March 23, 2020.  (AP Photo/Channi Anand)