Most of the victims of the epidemic are in Hubei province of China, where the Corona first erupted • World Health Organization called on African countries to prepare for outbreak of virus on the continent

• A woman on the streets of Beijing. Most of the victims of the epidemic are in the Hubei Province of China // Photo: IP

The death toll from the Corona virus reached 2,361 people on Saturday, including 2,250 in Hubei Province, China. The number of infections crossed the 78,000 approved cases. Conversely, the number of daily infections in China has been reported to decrease, but this may be related to changing the criteria for diagnosing new patients.

A World Health Organization (WHO) expert team arrived in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus broke out. So far, experts from the organization have operated in three other Chinese provinces, but only now have decided to reach the area. At the same time, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has not visited the city since the outbreak of the epidemic, received an opinion that the situation in Wuhan remains "bleak and complex," according to the Chinese state-run news agency. A meeting of senior Communist Party officials reported that the spread of the virus had not peaked.

Also, given the procedure for quarantining two potential patients with the virus, new evidence suggests that the virus incubation period may be longer than 14 days. Some of the isolated patients were diagnosed after the quarantine period. A 70-year-old Chinese man from Hubei Province was reportedly diagnosed as having been in solitary confinement for 27 days. Another man from Jiangxi Province was diagnosed with a 14-day quarantine, plus five days of self-quarantine. It has also been reported in China that it is possible that the virus is also transmitted through the urine, after being detected in urine tests performed in patients.

Patient transferred to treatment in South Korea // Photo: IP

World Health Organization CEO Tadros Adenum Grabissos met with representatives from African countries today in Geneva and called on them to prepare for the outbreak of the virus on the continent. The organization marked 13 high-risk African countries because of its trade and diplomatic ties with China.

To date, 1,200 new cases have been discovered outside China, including more than 200 infections in South Korea, and new cases in Italy, including two deaths, leading to the cancellation of football games.

The new 229 diagnoses in South Korea have plunged the country to 433. As a result, the fear of a global epidemic and its economic implications increased. More than half of those infected are members of a controversial religious organization, some of whom have visited Israel. The concern is that hundreds of other "Shinchongji Church of Christ" activists are carrying the virus.

Meanwhile, South Korean technology corporation "Samsung" announced yesterday the closure of one of its factories after one of its employees was diagnosed with a virus. The plant will resume operation tomorrow.

As a result of the Iranian parliamentary elections, the country's death toll rose to six people. The Iranian Ministry of Health announced that the virus has spread to all major cities in the Islamic Republic.