Proportion of severe cases of novel coronavirus falls significantly

The proportion of severe and critical cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia among all confirmed cases in China has decreased significantly, said the State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism at a press conference on Feb. 16.

By Feb.15, proportion of severe and critical cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia in epicenter Wuhan had dropped from a peak of 32.4 percent on Jan.28 to 21.6 percent on Feb.15, while the figure in other parts of Hubei province had dropped from a peak of 18.4 percent on Jan.27 to 11.1 percent on Feb.15, officials said at the conference.

The proportion in other Chinese provinces also fell significantly, from a peak of 15.9 percent on Jan. 27 to 7.2 percent on Feb. 15.       

“These changes have proven the current epidemic prevention and control measures are effective,” said Mi Feng, a spokesperson with the National Health Commission (NHC).

Thanks to the intensified targeted medical assistance for Hubei from across the country, the strict prevention and control measures implemented by Hubei province according to its conditions, as well as the categorizing and central management of patients, a large number of patients with mild symptoms have received timely treatment and reduced the possibility of turning worse. These efforts have laid a solid foundation for improving the recovery rate and reducing the fatality rate, Mi said.

Since the beginning of the epidemic prevention and control, nearly 4 million workers from China’s primary-level medical and health institutions, including 1.44 million from village clinics, have played an important and unique role in the fight against the coronavirus,” said Zhu Hongming, an official with the NHC.

Medical workers at the primary level have engaged in timely detections of fever patients and suspected cases to ensure the implementation of isolation and patient transfer, while they also need to carry out daily diagnosis and treatment for common diseases and the management of chronic diseases, Zhu said.

The medical workers have also conducted carpet screening alongside community workers to support epidemiological survey and analysis, and helped cut off virus transmission routes on the streets and at the gates of residential complexes, the official introduced.

Besides, the number of newly confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection outside Hubei has been dropping for 13 consecutive days from Feb. 3 to 15, according to NHC statistics.

On Feb. 3, 890 new confirmed cases were reported outside Hubei, and the figure fell to 166 on Feb. 15. Meanwhile, the number of discharged patients outside the province also witnessed consecutive growth.