WHO calls for a "realistic chance to stop this epidemic" of coronavirus, which constitutes "a very serious threat", when the latest assessment of the epidemic amounts to 1,113 deaths. The figures, however, call for cautious optimism: for the first time since February 2, the daily number of contamination and deaths is down. Leading Chinese scientist Zhong Nanshan, veteran of the fight against the SARS virus in China (2002-2003), estimated that the epidemic should peak "by mid- or late February" .
To date, 99.9% of the deaths recorded in the world have been in mainland China (except Hong Kong and Macao), where the disease appeared in December in the big city of Wuhan (center). The virus, now officially called by WHO "Covid-19" (and no longer "2019-nCoV", the name provisionally adopted), has killed 1,113 people there, according to Chinese health authorities. A total of 44,653 infected people have now been identified in mainland China.
Encouragingly, however, the number of new daily cases reported on Wednesday (2,015) decreased significantly compared to Tuesday (2,478) and Monday (3,062), according to the National Health Commission. The number of new deaths (97) is the first daily decline since February 2. Beijing had reported 108 dead the day before.
WHO calls for scientific "solidarity"
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday that the coronavirus could constitute "a very serious threat" outside mainland China, more than 400 cases having been confirmed in around thirty countries and territories. But "if we invest now, (...) we have a realistic chance of stopping this epidemic", he stressed during a conference, which brings together in Geneva until Wednesday 400 scientists to review ways to fight the epidemic. Dr Tedros also called on all countries to show "solidarity" by sharing their scientific data.
Outside mainland China, the virus has so far resulted in the deaths of only two people, one in the Philippines and one in Hong Kong. Both were Chinese nationals.
New cases on the Japanese cruise liner
In Japan, the situation has worsened on board the cruise ship Diamond Princess, in quarantine near Yokohama (east): 174 people are now infected. Thirty-nine new cases, including a quarantine officer, were announced on Wednesday. "At this stage, among the people (evacuated from the ship and) hospitalized, four are in serious condition, under respiratory assistance or intensive care," said the Japanese Minister of Health, Katsunobu Kato.
The coronavirus is a concern in the European Union, where several cases have been reported in Germany (16), France (11) and Italy (3). European health ministers will meet in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the subject. The case of a Briton has attracted particular attention in recent days: without having ever set foot in China, he contracted the Covid-19 in Singapore and passed it on to several of his compatriots during a stay in France. The man, who claimed to be "fully recovered", transmitted the virus to 11 other people: five hospitalized in France, five in Great Britain and one on the Spanish island of Majorca. Until then, most of the contamination identified abroad involved people returning from Wuhan.
The Chinese province of Hubei (center), epicenter of the epidemic, has been cut off from the world for almost three weeks: a sanitary cordon prevents entry and exit around many cities. Food, medical, and raw materials can, however, pass.
With AFP
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