The new coronavirus has killed 908 people in mainland China, where the number of people infected exceeds 40,000, according to the assessment established Monday February 10 by the authorities, confirming a certain stability in the progression of the epidemic. Ninety-seven new deaths have been reported in mainland China, including 91 in Hubei, a province in central China whose capital is Wuhan, home of the epidemic.
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The 2019-nCoV virus, which appeared in a market in Wuhan in December, also killed two other people around the world, one in the Philippines and another in Hong Kong. The overall toll of 910 deaths now greatly exceeds that of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed 774 people worldwide in 2002-2003.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of daily infections in China has stabilized, but it is too early to conclude that the epidemic has passed its peak. A WHO " international expert mission " led by Bruce Aylward, a veteran who worked on other health emergencies, left for China on Sunday evening, the organization said.
"Period of stability"
“ We have a four-day stability period where the number of reported cases has not increased. This is good news and it could reflect the impact of the control measures , ”said WHO emergency health program manager Michael Ryan.
In mainland China, with some 3,000 additional cases of infection announced on Monday (compared to around 2,600 the previous day), the toll is now 40,171 patients. Columbia scientist Ian Lipkin of the United States says the epidemic could peak within two weeks, before easing off markedly - even if a " start " is possible when people return to work massively.
Difficult supply
The situation still seems chaotic in hospitals in Wuhan, a city cut off from the world since January 23. Supply also remains difficult. " The town hall asks people to stay at home as much as possible but there are not enough products in the stores, so we have to go shopping often ," said Wei, whose husband is infected.
Owing to transportation, price and labor issues, " supply is struggling to reach normal levels ," said senior trade ministry official Wang Bin. The Chinese Central Bank has announced that it will release 300 billion yuan (43 billion US dollars) next week to help companies involved in fighting the epidemic, which continues to spread around the world.
More than 320 cases of contamination have been confirmed in around thirty countries and territories. Five new cases (four adults and one child, all of British nationality) were announced in France on Saturday, bringing the total to 11 in the country.
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