The World Health Organization on Friday confirmed two new deaths due to the novel coronavirus taking the total death toll to five.

The total cases of confirmed infections of the coronavirus are now nine. The infections occurred in the month of April. But because there were no specific tests to detect the novel virus, the samples from people with the disease weren't identified. Now, the stored samples have shown the presence of the novel coronavirus.

The first two cases of this coronavirus infection were confirmed on September 28, 2012. A man from Saudi Arabia and another man from Qatar were the first two people identified with this novel strain.

Coronavirus belongs to a family of viruses that cause illness in animals and humans. The new strain of coronavirus was never detected in animals or humans so far. The new strain is "genetically quite distinct from SARS" according to WHO, and it doesn't spread from person to person. There were concerns that healthcare personnel involved in taking care of the people who died from the infection might have contracted the virus.

"Even if the cases in Jordan were human-to-human spread -- and we don't know that -- it wasn't sustained," Gregory Hartl, spokesman for the WHO told the Canadian Press.

Since the cases of infection have been reported in three countries, much work needs to be done on the origin of the infection. "There are a lot of holes still to be filled in," Hartl said.

WHO said that "...to date a total of nine laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with the novel coronavirus have been reported to WHO - five cases (including 3 deaths) from Saudi Arabia, two cases from Qatar and two cases (both fatal) from Jordan."