The decline seems to be confirmed and the statements of the World Health Organization (WHO) are consistent. The epidemic of viral pneumonia, which mainly affects Hubei province in central China, has infected more than 73,000 people worldwide and has left nearly 1,900 dead.
Read also: Coronavirus: the “plague victims” of Hubei, new outcasts from China
But the trend is declining. In this context, WHO warns against any “ disproportionate ” measure. Le Figaro takes stock of this Tuesday, February 18.
Fourth day of recession
The number of contaminations in mainland China (excluding Hong Kong and Macao) increased on Tuesday to 72,438. Elsewhere in the world, 897 infected people have been identified in around thirty countries and territories, which brings the total worldwide to 73,335 contaminations. But, in 1886, the daily number of new infections was at its lowest since the beginning of the month. Outside Hubei, cordoned off by a sanitary cordon to contain the epidemic, only 79 new contaminations were identified this Tuesday in mainland China. On February 4, there were 890.
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The human toll reached 1,868 dead. And a director of a hospital in Wuhan City, where the epidemic started, died after being infected, CCTV public television said. According to the latest daily report, 98 people have succumbed to the virus in the last 24 hours, the fourth day of withdrawal. Elsewhere in the world, only five deaths have been recorded so far (in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, France and Taiwan).
Reassuring WHO statements
WHO was reassuring Monday: outside of Hubei province, the Covid-19 disease " affects a very small proportion of the population " and its mortality rate is currently only about 2 %. " The measures must be proportionate to the situation, taken on the basis of evidence and elements of public health, " said its director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to the press, stressing that " zero risk does not exist ".
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The WHO had already declared against the brutal restriction of the trips, whereas the United States, Australia and New Zealand in particular prohibited the entry on their territory to the foreigners who recently went to China - of which obviously many Chinese. Trade conferences, sports competitions and cultural events have been canceled or postponed, while a large number of airlines have suspended flights to mainland China.
Chinese dissident arrested
Xu Zhiyong, an anti-corruption activist who has already served four years in prison between 2013 and 2017, was arrested on Saturday, Amnesty International said. He had been on the run since December after participating in a meeting of opponents in the southeastern town of Xiamen. On February 4, he called for President Xi's resignation, criticizing his handling of the trade war with the USA, protests in Hong Kong and the Coronavirus epidemic. " Medical supplies are lacking, hospitals are overwhelmed and many infected people are not detected, " he denounced, referring to a "mess".
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"Diamond Princess": another contaminated French
The main source of contamination outside of China remains the Diamond Princess cruise liner, which was quarantined in early February in Yokohama Bay near Tokyo. To date, at least 454 people on board have been infected on more than 3700 passengers who have been ordered to stay in their cabin for two weeks.
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Several countries have started to evacuate their nationals. More than 300 Americans have been repatriated by air to the United States. A second positive case was also identified on Monday among the four French passengers on board the ship, these patients being taken care of by the Japanese health authorities.
Fears about another ship
The director of WHO, however, said Monday that it was not necessary to suspend all cruises in the world, saying he opposed any "general measure " against the coronavirus. This call comes at a time when the operator of an American cruise ship, the Westerdam , is seeking to trace some 1,200 travelers authorized to disembark in Cambodia last week despite the fear of potential contamination.
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On Saturday, the virus was diagnosed in an 83-year-old American passenger who arrived in Malaysia. But dozens of other travelers, like her, have already left Cambodia to return home, raising fears of a spread of the epidemic. " If we have to stop all cruises in the world in case there is potential contact with a possible pathogen, where will we stop?" "Said Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO director of emergency, however.
Cured blood to treat the sick
While the prospect of a vaccine is still distant, the Chinese authorities asked on Monday those healed to donate their blood in order to extract the plasma to treat the sick. This plasma from ex-infected patients contains antibodies which could reduce the viral load in severely ill people. Eleven patients hospitalized in Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic, received transfusions last week.
Read also: Coronavirus: China tries to treat the sick with the blood of cured patients
Truce in the trade war
To better counter the epidemic, the Chinese government announced Tuesday an exemption from punitive customs duties which it imposed within the framework of its trade war with the United States on certain American medical equipment. Equipment used to transfuse patients or measure blood pressure will therefore be exempt from March 2.
Read also: Coronavirus: China exempts US medical equipment from customs duties
Economic concerns
But large global companies fear a fall in demand. Apple announced on Monday that its second-quarter revenue forecast is unlikely to be met due to the epidemic in China - a crucial country for the U.S. company.
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