China’s health officials say priority is to stop mild coronavirus cases from getting worse
- National Health Commission admits Wuhan lacked intensive care facilities at start of the outbreak, but more beds and staff have now been provided
- And an epidemiologist says preliminary tests have shown two drugs, Arbidol and Darunavir, could effectively inhibit replication of the new strain
There are now more than 20,000 confirmed cases of the new virus on the mainland, and over 2,700 of those patients are critically ill, according to the officials. As of Monday, 425 people had died from the disease, while 738 patients had recovered after being treated in hospital.
Jiao Yahui, deputy director of the National Health Commission’s (NHC’s) Medical Administration Bureau, said the mortality rate of the viral pneumonia caused by the coronavirus was 2.1 per cent, with most of the cases in Hubei province and its capital Wuhan. The outbreak began in the city in December.
“Regarding the situation in Hubei province, the NHC has issued a directive on providing treatment to gravely ill patients with the coronavirus … requiring Hubei authorities to immediately increase the capacity to handle critically ill patients and do their best to cure the patients and lower the mortality rate,” Jiao told media in Beijing.
Meanwhile, as researchers race to find a drug to treat the coronavirus, epidemiologist Li Lanjuan said preliminary tests had shown that two antiretroviral medications, Arbidol and Darunavir, could effectively inhibit replication of the new strain.
