The 2019-nCoV coronavirus epidemic has just crossed the threshold of 20,000 cases but also that of 400 deaths. In the outbreak center in Wuhan, the hospital, built in ten days, has just opened.
The latest assessment
According to the latest report announced on February 4, 2020 by the South Morning China Post, the Chinese coronavirus killed 426 people out of 20,622 confirmed cases. Hubei province – home of the epidemic – broke a new one-day death record with 64 dead. There are also no other deaths outside of China except the one reported in the Philippines a few days ago.
While the risk of a pandemic is very real, the world is witnessing a small communication war between the United States and China. The US CDC called for “aggressive actions” against people arriving from Wuhan to stop the spread of the coronavirus. According to officials from these health organizations, the situation in China is “explosive” and “unprecedented”. For its part, Beijing criticized what has been called “hostile statements”.
The hospital built in ten days is ready
When China mentioned the construction of a hospital in just ten days, the media had made a sensational news. And yet it really came out of the ground in Wuhan, as the NBC news channel explains. This brand new establishment has a thousand beds. Above all, it contains equipment intended to specially treat patients with coronavirus. In addition, a second, even more imposing hospital is under construction. It will be in the same city and should be ready in a few days.
This is not a scoop but China has just recognized that it lacked masks and protective equipment. Barely believable situations have occurred in recent days. Faced with the impossibility of wearing masks, some people make their own handcrafted protections from everyday objects! In Hong Kong, unscrupulous merchants take advantage of the shortage to sell masks of poor quality, under a false brand or even “recycled masks” (used and then put back on sale).
In any case, the epidemic is progressing and in addition to the assessment which is getting heavier, other signs do not deceive. For two days, the Chinese authorities have placed the city of Wenzhou (more than 250 confirmed cases) in quarantine, just like Wuhan. And the measures are drastic: transport paralysis, confinement of the 9 million inhabitants at home and closed public places. In addition, the New Year’s holiday has been extended until February 17 for businesses and until March 1 for schools.
