Coronavirus deaths, confirmed cases continue to increase

Feb 7, 2020 00:00 AM

By Merlina Hernando-Malipot

The number of fatalities and people infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) continues to increase with over 600 deaths and more than 31,000 confirmed cases in 25 countries based on the data of the World Health Organization (WHO).

A medical worker and police stand at a checkpoint as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Susong County, Anhui province, China, February 6, 2020. (REUTERS/Thomas Peter / MANILA BULLETIN) (REUTERS/Thomas Peter / MANILA BULLETIN)

As of February 7, 2020, latest data shown in WHO Health Emergency Dashboard on 2019-nCoV revealed that there are 31,420 confirmed cases with 638 deaths. China, where the deadly virus outbreak originated, has 31, 211 confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV to date.

nCoV deaths in China exceeds SARS

The death toll of the 2019-nCoV has surpassed the number of fatalities of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in China way back in 2003.

Based on the tracking made by Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE), of the 638 reported deaths due to the new coronavirus, 636 are recorded in China; one in Hong Kong, and one in the Philippines.

As reported, the 2003 SARS outbreak had infected over 5,000 people in mainland China with 349 deaths. Globally, there were over 8,000 confirmed cases of SARS from November 2002 to July 2003 – with 774 recorded fatalities.

Steady increase

Based on the monitoring of WHO and the John Hopkins CSSE, the number of deaths and confirmed cases of the 2019-nCov continues to increase steadily as cases of infection are also reported outside China.

As monitored by WHO, other countries with confirmed cases of the 2019-nCoV aside from China include:

Singapore: 30
Japan: 25
Thailand: 25
Republic of Korea: 24
Australia: 15
Malaysia: 14
Germany: 13
US: 12
Vietnam: 12
Canada: 7
France: 6
United Arab Emirates: 5
India: 3
Italy: 3
Philippines: 3
United Kingdom: 3
Russian Federation: 2
Cambodia: 1
Finland: 1
Nepal: 1
Sri Lanka: 1
Spain: 1
Sweden: 1
Belgium: 1

In the Philippines, the number of persons under investigation (PUIs) for possible 2019-nCoV infection increased to 215, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

The DOH said that of the 215 PUIs, the three tested positive; 57 tested negative; and 155 with pending laboratory results. There is no new reported death or confirmed case of 2019-nCoV aside from the three earlier cases involving Chinese nationals from Wuhan, China – the epicenter of the deadly virus.