Coronavirus: Death toll reaches to 132; about 6,000 confirmed cases

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Beijing, The deadly coronavirus continues to wreak havoc in China with 25 new fatalities reported from central Hubei province taking the death toll to 132 and the confirmed infection cases to nearly 6,000, as health experts warned that the epidemic may reach its climax in the next 10 days resulting in large-scale casualties.

The Chinese health authorities announced on Wednesday that 5,974 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions by the end of Tuesday.

A total of 132 people have died from the disease, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

In Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the provincial capital, 3,554 confirmed cases have been reported with 125 deaths as of Tuesday, it said.

Among the confirmed cases, 1,239 patients are in critical condition, official TV CGTN reported, adding that there are 9,239 suspected cases in the Chinese mainland.

The Hubei province has reported 840 newly confirmed cases, indicating that the virus continues to spread at a faster rate.

The death rate from the new coronavirus is not yet known, as more fatalities will likely be reported. Most patients who have died are above 60 and had pre-existing conditions, according to reports from local authorities.

The coronavirus can be passed between humans through close contact, Chinese medical experts say.

The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak may reach its peak in one week or around 10 days, Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan said.

“It is very difficult to definitely estimate when the outbreak reaches its peak. But I think in one week or about 10 days, it will reach the climax and then there will be large-scale increases,” Zhong told state-run Xinhua news agency.

Zhong is the head of a national team of experts set up for the control and prevention of the novel coronavirus-caused pneumonia and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

“There are two keys to tackling the epidemic: early detection and early isolation. They are the most primitive and most effective methods,” he said.

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