Coronavirus is now killing more people a day outside China: Daily virus death toll is 126% higher in the rest of the world combined than it is where the outbreak originated
- More deaths from coronavirus have been reported outside of China than inside for the first time since the outbreak began in December
- As of Wednesday, 38 deaths were reported within China compared to 86 in the rest of the world
- By the end of March, the largest of 16 temporary hospitals that opened in Wuhan to treat new infections will close, according to the director
- Health experts say it may be a sign that the Chinese government’s efforts to stop the spread of the virus are currently working
- Globally, more than 94,000 people have been infected and more than 3,200 people have died
Figures released by China on Wednesday suggest the tide of the coronavirus epidemic in the nation may be turning.
For the first time since the outbreak began, the number of coronavirus deaths outside of China exceeded those reported inside the country.
Only 38 deaths from the virus were reported on Wednesday, according to the Chinese government.
It comes as deaths surged in countries such as the US, Iran and South Korea for a total of 86 – a 126 percent difference.
More deaths from coronavirus have been reported outside of China than inside for the first time since the outbreak began in December. Pictured: Patients infected by coronavirus wait to be transferred from Wuhan No.5 Hospital to Leishenshan Hospital, March 3
As of Wednesday, 38 deaths were reported within China compared to 86 in other countries. Pictured: Medical personnel distribute meals at a sports stadium which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to treat coronavirus patients in Wuhan, March 2
Also a promising sign that the worst may soon be over for China is a decrease in the number of new confirmed cases.
On Wednesday, only 119 new infections were reported there, according to official government figures.
The majority came from the Hubei province, where Wuhan – the city at the epicenter of the outbreak – is located.
Most of the provinces on the mainland have not reported any new infections over the last week.
For example, Shanghai has reported just one new infection over the past six days, according to The New York Times.
According to health experts, the numbers indicate the government’s efforts to control the spread of the virus such as canceling Lunar New Year celebrations and banning planes and trains from entering and leaving the city, are currently working.
Worldwide, more than 94,000 people have been infected and more than 3,200 people have died
‘It’s very clear that the actions taken in China have almost brought to an end their first wave of infections,’ Dr Benjamin Cowling, an infectious disease expert at Hong Kong University, told The Times.
It comes on the heels of news that the first of 16 hospitals built specifically to handle the swell of coronavirus patients has closed after discharging its last patients.
Additionally, the head of the largest temporary hospital told the Associated Press that the facility should be able to close by the end of this month.
But as the virus appears to be slowing down in China, it also seems to be spreading faster in several other countries.
In the US, the number of Americans infected has spiked by 106 percent over the last five days.
The head of the largest of 16 temporary hospitals that opened in Wuhan to treat new infections says he believes the facility will close by the end of March. Pictured: Medical personnel attend to a patient in critical condition at a hospital designated for coronavirus patients in Wuhan, March 1
Health experts say it may be a sign that the government’s efforts to stop the spread of the virus is currently working. Pictured: Medical staff prepare to transfer patients infected by coronavirus to Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, March 3
Meanwhile, deaths continue to rise around the world including the US, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea. Pictured: Health officials treat patients infected by coronavirus at a hospital in Tehran, Iran, March 2
Dr Nancy Messonnier, a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the US may be finally experiencing ‘community spread’, which has been occurring overseas.
Community spread occurs when the source of infection is unknown.
‘What is happening now in the United States may be the beginning of what is happening abroad,’ Dr Messonnier told reporters in a media call on Tuesday.
‘We will continue to maintain, for as long as practical, an aggressive national posture of containment. That said, you might see some local communities taking specific actions to mitigate the disease.’
And Italy’s government announced on Wednesday that all its schools and universities will be temporarily closed until mid-March as the death toll rose to 79 on Tuesday, up from 52 on Monday.
Worldwide, more than 94,000 people have been infected in at least 70 countries and more than 3,200 people have died.
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