As of 1 PM on the 26th, 56 Deaths and 2,005 Confirmed Cases
Risk of Transmission During Incubation Period
Countries Worldwide Deploy Charter Flights to Repatriate Citizens
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] The number of deaths and confirmed cases infected with the novel coronavirus (Wuhan pneumonia) continues to rise in China. The daily death toll is increasing by double digits, and countries around the world are considering deploying charter flights to repatriate their nationals staying in Wuhan.
◆ Death toll exceeds 56, confirmed cases surpass 2,000 = According to Chinese media, as of 1 p.m. on the 26th, the total number of deaths from the novel coronavirus across the Greater China region, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau, reached 56, with confirmed cases totaling 2,005.
The death toll surged by 15 in just one day, from 41 on the 24th to 56 on the 25th. Of the additional 15 deaths by region, 13 were in Hubei Province, including Wuhan, 1 in Shanghai, and 1 in Henan Province, indicating that fatalities are spreading across regions.
Confirmed cases exceeded 1,000 in Hubei Province, including the outbreak epicenter Wuhan (618 cases), reaching 1,052. Zhejiang Province also surpassed 100 cases with 104. Other regions with more than 40 confirmed cases include Guangdong Province (98), Henan Province (83), Chongqing (75), Hunan Province (69), Anhui (60), Beijing (54), Sichuan Province (44), and Shanghai (40). In the Greater China region, Hong Kong and Macau each reported 5 confirmed cases, and Taiwan reported 3 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.
Notably, in the capital Beijing, three doctors contracted the novel coronavirus and were placed under isolation treatment; they are now reported to be in stable condition. Two of the doctors had been on a business trip to Wuhan, and another doctor who attended a meeting with one of them was also confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus.
◆ Chinese authorities: "Transmission has strengthened and can spread during incubation" = Ma Xiaowei, director of the National Health Commission of China, warned at a press conference that the transmissibility of the novel coronavirus is increasing and that confirmed cases may continue to emerge.
Director Ma stated, "Information about the novel coronavirus is limited," but added, "The incubation period ranges from at least one day to up to two weeks, and unlike SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), it appears to be contagious even during the incubation period."
Accordingly, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Vaccine Research Institute has begun research on a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, having successfully isolated the virus and proceeding with subsequent work. They have also started extracting drugs that may be effective for treatment. The Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica at the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that it has identified more than 30 drugs that may be effective against the novel coronavirus.
Beijing health authorities are administering lopinavir and ritonavir, antiretroviral drugs used in HIV treatment, to patients infected with the novel coronavirus.
In the UK, research indicates that one infected patient transmits the disease to an average of 2 to 3 people, and that by early next month, the number of infected people in Wuhan alone could approach 200,000.
Professor Neil Ferguson's research team at Imperial College London claimed on the 18th that there were already 4,000 infected people in Wuhan, each transmitting the virus to an average of 2 to 3 others. A research team at Lancaster University in the UK also reported that infected individuals are infecting an average of 2.5 new people.
◆ Countries worldwide push to repatriate nationals with charter flights = As confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection rapidly increase in China, countries around the world are moving to evacuate their nationals from the Wuhan area.
The United States, which has already closed its consulate in Wuhan, plans to dispatch a charter flight carrying consulate staff and others from Wuhan to San Francisco on the 28th of this month. It is estimated that about 1,000 Americans currently reside in Wuhan.
Governments of South Korea, Japan, and the United Kingdom are negotiating with the Chinese government on repatriation plans, including deploying charter flights for their nationals wishing to return from Wuhan.
An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "We are prioritizing the transportation of our nationals via charter flights and are in discussions with the Chinese side. However, the possibility and timing of deploying charter flights remain uncertain." It is estimated that 500 to 600 South Korean nationals, including students, self-employed individuals, and expatriates, are currently staying in Wuhan.
Japan is also negotiating with the Chinese government to enable Japanese nationals in Wuhan, Hubei Province, to return to Japan. As of the 24th, about 700 Japanese nationals are known to be staying in Wuhan. The UK government, which has not yet reported confirmed cases, is also considering deploying charter flights.
Additionally, the French Consulate General in Wuhan is reportedly considering transporting French nationals residing in Wuhan by bus to Changsha City in neighboring Hunan Province. Australia is also preparing measures to evacuate its nationals staying in Wuhan. Taiwanese authorities have decided to repatriate all approximately 6,000 Chinese group tourists staying in Taiwan by the 28th to minimize the risk of Wuhan pneumonia infection caused by Chinese nationals.
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