A disabled boy passes away after father gets quarantined in China
By NeucradHealth India February 8, 2020
In a heart-wrenching incident, a teenage boy suffering from cerebral palsy passed away when Chinese health officials quarantined his father- his only caregiver. Officials found the boy- Yan Cheng dead when his father and brother were quarantined after suspicion of contracting Coronavirus. According to reports, the boy received food only two times after his family members were taken away to restrict the spread of the infection. His father posted on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, asking for help from concerned people for the wellbeing of his son. He informed them that his teenage disabled son is living without food and water, and appealed kind-hearted individuals to find out whereabouts of the boy. After this incident became public, officials have suspended the local Communist Party secretary and mayor of the Huajiahe town where the teenager lived.
What is the present condition of Coronavirus spread in China?
According to the latest report, as of now (February 7, 2020, 14:30 GMT), there are 31,535 patients suffering from Coronavirus. Among them, 4826 (about 15 per cent) are in critical condition. Till today, the virus has claimed 638 victims, and about 1778 patients have recovered from this deadly infection. [1]
How many countries have confirmed the spread of Coronavirus?
Untill today (February 7, 2020), Coronavirus has spread to 28 countries, including China, Japan (86), Singapore (33), Hong Kong (25), Thailand (25), South Korea (24), Taiwan (16), Malaysia (15), Australia (15), Germany (13), Vietnam (12), USA (12), Macao (10), Canada (7), France (6), UAE (5), Philippines (3), India (3), UK (3), Italy (3), Russia (2), Sri Lanka (1), Cambodia (1), Finland (1), Nepal (1), Sweden (1), Spain (1), and Belgium (1). Among these countries, the infection originated and mostly remain confined in China with 31210 patients reported from the country. [1]
What is the fatality rate of Coronavirus?
A press conference at the National Health Commission (NHC) of China held in on February 4, 2020, has estimated that the fatality rate of Wuhan Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is 2.1 per cent in China. However, the figure is a staggering 4.9 per cent in Wuhan (the ground zero of the infection) and 3.1 per cent at the Hubei Province. Out of 638 victims, 313 deaths occurred in Wuhan. A similar press conference at the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 29, 2020, has established the mortality rate to be 2 per cent. If we compare the fatality rate with other flu infections, then we find SARS (Severe acute respiratory syndrome) has 10 per cent mortality, and MERS (Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome) has 34 per cent mortality. [2]
What are the possible treatments for Coronavirus?
Till now, we do not have any specific antiviral treatment for the 2019-nCoV infection. In most cases, doctors are prescribing supportive care to ease the discomfort from the disease. Many physicians are also advising two antiviral HIV medications- lopinavir and ritonavir as they proved to be useful in controlling the outbreak of SARS in 2003. China has also started the clinical trial of a medicine- remdesivir developed by the Gilead, the American pharmaceutical giant. Laboratory studies conducted on mice and monkeys infected with Coronavirus has offered satisfactory results in treating the infection.
Chinese health officials are considering administering remdesivir intravenously on an experimental basis. Doctors in Washington State have introduced this medicine in treating a coronavirus patient. His conditions improved within 24 hours of administering the drug. Doctors have also previously tried this drug in fighting Ebola infection; but, it did not provide to be useful in controlling the virus. However, patients did not develop any side-effects from this medication. Since time is running out, health officials are exploring every possible measure for curing the coronavirus infection. [3]
