WASHINGTON (Feb 27): The fast-spreading 2019 novel coronavirus (Covid-19) will have an impact on global economic growth and the International Monetary Fund is likely to downgrade its growth forecast as result, an IMF spokesman said on Thursday.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva flagged the expected downgraded on Saturday during a meeting of finance officials from the world's 20 largest economies in Riyadh. In a statement, she said the virus outbreak would likely lower China's economic growth this year to 5.6%, down 0.4 percentage point from its January outlook, and shave 0.1 percentage point from global growth.