Covid-19 infections could return amid diagnostic unknowns

0
13
China looks for April-end control of Covid-19. (Photo courtesy: Daily Express)

(TibetanReview.net, Mar02’20) – Amid continuing official reports about improving situation concerning the Covid-19 infections in mainland China but still worsening spread and deaths in other countries, notably South Korea, Italy, and Iran, scientists are yet to determine the intermediate host of the disease, raising risk of recurrence, said a scmp.com and other reports Feb 29.

In addition, the report said the World Health Organization (WHO) had on Feb 28 warned of the risk of outbreaks coming back to life and about researchers in mainland China and Hong Kong pointing out a major difficulty with diagnosis.

The report is based on a joint study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from mainland China and Hong Kong who had reviewed the cases of 1,099 coronavirus patients from 552 hospitals in 30 provinces. They found that more than half the patients did not have a fever when they went into hospital, making diagnosis more difficult, the report said.

* * *

Across the world, the number of confirmed cases totaled 89,217 and the deaths 3,044 by Mar 2 afternoon, according to several published updates.

Italy saw a 50 percent jump in the number of confirmed cases in a single day, with its total rising to 1,694 on Mar 1, reported scmp.com Mar 2. The death toll I nth country touched 34, the report added.

South Korea still has the highest number of infections outside China at 4,212, with 26 deaths.

Iran has the highest number of deaths outside China at 54, with the total number of confirmed cases being 978.

The Czech Republic, Scotland and the Dominican Republic confirmed their first cases, aid the aljazeera.com Mar 2. So also did Indonesia, according to a scmp.com report Mar 2.

The Diamond Princess cruise ship anchored on Japan’s coast had 706 cases and six deaths. And Japan with 256 cases had six deaths.

Other countries with confirmed cases and deaths as of Mar 2 afternoon included France (130, 2), Hong Kong (98, 2), The United States (89, 2), Thailand (43, 1), Taiwan (40, 1), Australia (33, 1) and the Philippines (3, 1).

Countries with 10 or more confirmed cases but no death as of Mar 2 afternoon included Germany (150), Singapore (106), Spain (84), Kuwait (56), Bahrain (47), The United Kingdom (36), Malaysia (29), Switzerland (10), Canada (24), the UAE (21), Iraq (19), Norway (19), Vietnam (16), Austria (14), Sweden (14), Israel (10), Lebanon (10),  Macao (10), and Netherlands (10).

* * *

Mainland China reported 202 new confirmed cases and 42 deaths as of Mar 1, taking their totals to 80,026 (including 32,652 still being treated and 44,462 discharged after recovery) and 2,912 respectively, according to China’s official media Mar 2.

A total of 715 people were still reported to be suspected of being infected with the virus.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here