French chef creates coronavirus-themed Easter egg

The virus-inspired Easter egg.
The virus-inspired Easter egg. Photo credit: Le Telegramme/screenshot

A French confectioner has turned his annoyance into art by creating a coronavirus-themed Easter egg.

Pastry chef and chocolatier Jean-François Pré says his newest creation was born from frustration with the virus.

"I'm a little tired of hearing about it," Pré told French media outlet Le Telegramme.

"I tried to take it as a joke".

The milk chocolate eggs are studded with pieces of almond dyed red to mimic what the virus looks like under a microscope.

While sales have not been outstanding Pré says he has already sold four. 

"It amuses people to see that. That's the point."

Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has spread quickly across the world. Originating in the city of Wuhan in China's Hubei province the disease causes fevers, coughing and difficulty breathing.

In serious cases the virus leads to pneumonia and organ failure. 

More than 122,000 people have been infected globally and 4552 have died from the virus.

On Thursday the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a pandemic. 

"WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming level of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction," said Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

WHO had previously called coronavirus COVID-19 a global health emergency.