ISTANBUL

The president of Turkey and chancellor of Germany discussed the current state of the fight against the novel coronavirus on Friday in a phone call.

Bilateral issues and steps to be taken in the aftermath of the pandemic were also on the agenda during the call between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chancellor Angela Merkel.

After originating in China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 185 countries and regions, with Europe and the US currently the worst-hit regions.

The pandemic has killed over 192,000 people, with total infections exceeding 2.73 million, while more than 751,500 have recovered, according to U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Dilara Hamit