There are concerns that the coronavirus death toll could be much higher.

The death toll has risen to 170 worldwide, with Chinese authorities saying there's nearly 8,000 confirmed cases in the country.

 says Chinese media outlets are reporting that there were bodies cremated before they could be tested for the virus.

Deutsche Welle East Asia correspondent William Yang told Heather du Plessis-Allan some families have been rushed into cremations so bodies aren't left in hospitals.

"According to the interview with these cremation centres, there are at least over 30 bodies that have already been processed through this whole mechanism in the first few days when the lockdown was being enforced."

He says that a lot of bodies are therefore going unidentified before they are burnt. 

Yang says that Wuhan locals believe that there are actually over 300 deaths.