World / Apple will donate to groups helping fight Coronavirus: Tim Cook

Tim Cook has announced that Apple will be donating money to efforts to fight Coronavirus.

In a tweet Saturday he said:

As people in China and around the world celebrate the Lunar New Year, we send our love and support to the many impacted by the Coronavirus. Apple will be donating to groups on the ground helping support all of those affected.

The virus, which was previously unknown to scientists, causes severe lung disease and acute respiratory infection. It was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December, and the majority of recorded cases (more than 700) are concentrated in the surrounding Hubei Province.

The disease appears to be one of only a few viruses known to infect people, similar to Sars, which killed several hundred people in China in 2002. There is no specific cure or vaccine currently available.

Reports confirm that there are also cases recorded outside of China, in Australia and France. China's closest neighbors are also on high alert. The World Health Organization has not declared an international emergency, in part because overseas cases, for the time being, remain limited.

From Cook's tweet, it seems that money donated will go to organizations and groups who are working on the ground with all those affected. Apple, of course, is no stranger to philanthropy and fighting disease. Notably, its Product(RED) line sends a portion of all of its profits to charities fighting AIDS.