Coronavirus: China predicts fall in mortality rate as mainland deaths hit 425
- New cases in Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, reach 2,345 for a total of 13,522
- Deaths in the province rose by 64 to 414, another record high
The updated numbers follow 64 new deaths attributable to the illness in the mainland and 3,235 confirmed cases, according to the country’s National Health Commission (NHC).
Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, announced that coronavirus fatalities there had risen to 414 after 64 deaths – another daily record.
As of midnight on Monday, the health commission of Hubei also reported 2,345 new cases of infection. Of those, 1,242 were reported in Wuhan, the province’s capital and where the contagion, also known as 2019-nCoV, was first reported.
Mortality rate drop predicted
The NHC said the national coronavirus mortality rate would drop further as more suitable treatments and medical resources were mobilised in Wuhan.
Jiao Yahui, deputy director of the NHC’s Medical Administration Bureau, said that, as of Monday and based on confirmed cases nationwide, the national fatality rate was 2.1 per cent, with the vast majority of deaths in Hubei province.
The central Chinese province has lost 414 people, or 97 per cent of the mainland death toll. According to Jiao, the mortality rate in the provincial capital Wuhan has reached 4.9 per cent, with 313 deaths so far. The mortality rate for Hubei is 3.1 per cent, the highest of any province in the country.
Jiao said China had taken further measures to bring down the mortality rate in Hubei, especially Wuhan, with another 1,000 beds for critical cases concentrated in hospitals with ICU capabilities and medical teams with relevant experience in handling critical respiratory disease.