Coronavirus outbreak poses risk to U.S. Fed's economic outlook

FILE PHOTO: Members of the Thai Airways crew prepare themselves before disinfecting the cabin of an aircraft of the national carrier during a procedure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand, January 28. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The outbreak of a new virus that originated in the central-Chinese city of Wuhan is likely to slow China's economic growth at least in the near term and could hurt its trading partners around the world.

The potential effects of the spread of the coronavirus, which has sickened more than 6,000, mostly in China, and killed 133 since its detection early last month, took centre stage in U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's news conference on Wednesday following the central bank's widely expected decision to keep interest rates unchanged.