Although coronavirus (COVID-19) infections are still rising around the world, a health expert has claimed there is evidence disease transmission outside China might not be the feared tip of the “iceberg”. Dr Michael Ryan, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme chief has urged against making hasty assessments about coronavirus.
He said on Thursday, February 14: “We’re not seeing a dramatic increase in transmission outside China.
We’re not seeing a dramatic increase in transmission outside China
Dr Michael Ryan
Of the reported 1,400 deaths from the coronavirus to date, all but two have been in China.
China’s Hubei province, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak reported 116 new deaths from the virus to the end of Thursday, according to a statement published today.
This follows a sharp increase on the previous day’s tally, meaning there were 4,823 new cases, including 3,095 clinical diagnoses, to take the total for Hubei to 51,986.
Dr Ryan added there had been two deaths and 447 cases in 24 countries outside China.
On Thursday Japan announced its first coronavirus death – a woman in her 80s who lived in Kanagawa, south-west of Tokyo.
The woman’s diagnosis was confirmed after her death and she had no known link to Hubei province.
The biggest cluster outside China is on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is in quarantine in Yokohama port, Japan.
Dr Ryan added 218 passengers on board have so far tested positive for COVID-19.
Other cruise ships in the South China Sea continue to be affected by fears that they may be carrying the virus.
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Dr Ryan revealed routine winter testing of patients with chest ailments in hospitals in China, Singapore and Hong Kong indicated no widespread COVID-19 transmission.
He said: “In emergency rooms and as part of normal winter respiratory disease surveillance, they’ve been actively testing thousands of samples that are not suspect cases of COVID.
“At the moment, we’re just not seeing COVID activity amongst those samples, and that would give an indication that the iceberg may not be that great – but it’s not a guarantee.”
However, the health expert insisted fears only a fraction of cases were being detected were “as valid as speculations in the other direction.”
He adding no specific treatments existed for patients, beyond “standard antivirals” used for previous coronavirus outbreaks, such as during 2003’s SARS epidemic.
He also explained new drugs and vaccines will take time and the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars, before urging public and private investment to collaborate to spread the risk.
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Until this week’s increases, the number of people infected with the coronavirus in Hubei was stabilising.
The new cases and deaths in the province have pushed the national death toll above 1,350 with almost 60,000 infections in total.
White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow expressed “surprise” at the new cases.
He said: ”We’re a little disappointed in the lack of transparency coming from the Chinese, these numbers are jumping around.”
China sacked two top officials in Hubei province hours after the new figures were revealed.
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