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China moves to stop coronavirus return from overseas as mainland cases fall with 406 new infections

South China Morning Post

發布於 2020年02月26日04:02 • Gigi Choy and Teddy Ng
  • Strategy pivot as more European countries report infections and South Korean cases surge to more than 1,000
  • But in mainland China only five new infections have occurred outside Hubei province, where outbreak began
A disinfection operation at a research institute in South Korea, where coronavirus cases have surpassed the 1,000 mark. Photo: Xinhua
A disinfection operation at a research institute in South Korea, where coronavirus cases have surpassed the 1,000 mark. Photo: Xinhua

The spread of the coronavirus outbreak has widened with more European nations hit and the number of infections in South Korea surging to more than 1,000, while China has reported another drop in cases, with 406 new daily infections, as of Tuesday.

China's National Health Commission said there were also 52 new deaths, all of them in Hubei, the central Chinese province at the heart of the outbreak. This compared with 508 new cases " a fall of 102 " and 71 deaths a day earlier.

There were only five new infections outside Hubei. So far, 29,745 patients on mainland China have recovered from Covid-1, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

China's new focus - stop infections from abroad

China's containment strategy is shifting to an effort to stop the coronavirus from being imported back into the country as the outbreak surges abroad.

On Tuesday, 94 passengers aboard Asiana Airlines flight OZ349 from Seoul to Nanjing were quarantined after three Chinese nationals were found to have fevers. None of the three passengers had a travel history to Wuhan.

In Beijing, a meeting chaired by the city party chief Cai Qi, called for more stringent measures to stop infections being imported to the capital. "Pay close attention to the risk of overseas epidemics, strictly enforce health entry requirements, and properly implement epidemic prevention services for foreigners in Beijing," the meeting stressed.

All people entering Beijing, which includes those coming from other Chinese cities, face a 14 day quarantine period, the meeting said.

South Korea cases exceed 1,100

South Korea reported 169 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the total infections there to 1,146.

About 80 per cent of confirmed cases came from two clusters of infections " a branch of a religious sect in the southeastern city of Daegu and a hospital in the neighbouring county of Cheongdo, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.

Secretive Korean sect linked to coronavirus outbreak held Wuhan meetings

Of the 169 new cases, 153 are in Daegu, 300km southeast of Seoul, and neighbouring North Gyeongsang province, but nearly all major provinces and cities have reported some infections, including four cases in the capital Seoul, according to the Korea Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

Busan, South Korea's second-largest city, reported eight new cases and Gyeonggi province reported one new case on Wednesday morning, the KCDC said. So far, 11 people have died in South Korea from the virus, including a 36-year-old Mongolian national who was hospitalised for a liver transplant.

US forces in South Korea report first virus case as infections hit 1,146

Meanwhile, an American soldier stationed at Camp Carroll in South Korea has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a US Forces Korea (USFK) statement. The 23-year-old man is the first US service member to test positive for the virus, and is currently in self quarantine at his off-base residence.

Europe is also worrying

The situation facing Europe is getting more serious, with Austria, Croatia, Switzerland and Romania becoming the latest European nations to confirm cases of coronavirus. Austria has two cases. Switzerland, Croatia and Romania have one each.

Italian authorities updated their death toll to 11. Four additional deaths were reported in Italy on Tuesday. In Spain, the H10 Costa Adeje Palace Hotel in Tenerife " where an Italian man who has tested positive for the virus was staying " has been locked down.

Iran's deputy health minister infected

Iran has the highest number of deaths outside China, with 16 people killed by the coronavirus.

Iran's deputy health minister Iraj Harirchi, who was seen coughing during an interview on state TV, has tested positive for the coronavirus.

A group of Canada-based public health experts, including Ashleigh Tuite from the University of Toronto, said a large epidemic in Iran " could further fuel global dissemination of Covid-19. Between February 19 and 23, Iran reported its first 43 cases with eight deaths.

Assessing interconnectivity between Iran and other countries using International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, the experts estimated that 18,300 Covid-19 cases would have had to occur in Iran.

"It is likely that Iran is currently experiencing a Covid-19 epidemic of significant size for such exportations to be occurring. This is concerning, both for public health in Iran itself, and because of the high likelihood for outward dissemination of the epidemic to neighbouring countries with lower capacity to respond to infectious diseases epidemics," the experts said in the paper, which has not been peer reviewed.

Clinical trials begin in US

The first clinical trial in the US of a possible coronavirus treatment is underway in Nebraska and is eventually expected to include 400 patients at 50 locations around the world, officials said on Tuesday.

Half of the patients in the international study will receive the antiviral medicine Remdesivir, while the other half will receive a placebo. Several other studies, including one looking at the same drug, are already underway internationally.

Four-star Canary Islands resort in coronavirus lockdown

Dr Andre Kalil, who will oversee the study at the University of Nebraska Medical Centre, said the clinical trial had been developed quickly in response to the virus outbreak. Patients hospitalised with the Covid-19 would be eligible to join the trial if they had at least moderate symptoms, he said.

A group of 14 people who were evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan are being treated at the Nebraska centre. All except two of this group have tested positive for the disease.

At least two patient studies are underway in China, one of which involves Remdesivir, which is made by Gilead Sciences and has been described by the World Health Organisation as "the most promising candidate" for an effective treatment against Covid-19.

Additional reporting by Associated Press

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