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Coronavirus recovery rates ‘promising’, infectious disease expert says
- Small sample of people discharged from hospital after being infected shows people in serious and critical condition can be treated, Peking University specialist says
- But more real-time data is needed to assess the true threat posed by the contagion, Japanese virology professor says
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Chinese health officials on Friday sought to assuage a jittery public over the strength of the novel coronavirus which has sickened more than 31,200 people across the country.
Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Wang Guoqiang, an infectious disease expert at Peking University No 1 Hospital, said that preliminary data about people who had recovered after being infected was promising.
Based on a small sample of discharged patients from Wuhan, the city at the centre of the outbreak, Wang said that about 6 per cent had recovered after being in a serious condition, while less than one per cent had recovered after being classed as in critical condition.
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“This shows that cases in serious and critical conditions can be treated and discharged from hospital after receiving proactive treatment, and that has given us great confidence,” he said.
“We now have expert teams supporting Wuhan, especially those who have been transferred from intensive care units.
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“I think this will greatly reduce the mortality of patients in critical condition and improve the recovery rate,” he said.
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