Coronavirus: experimental treatments give hope as China death toll hits 1,523
- Scientists report positive results from treatments using plasma from patients who have recovered from the illness
- China reports 2,641 new cases, 849 of them severe on Saturday
China reported 2,641 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 849 new severe cases on Saturday. A total of 143 more people have died, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 1,523.
There are 2,277 suspected new cases. The total number of confirmed cases across the country stands at 66,492, of which 11,053 – 18 per cent – are severe.
In Hubei province – epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak – 2,420 new confirmed cases were reported with 1,923 of those in provincial capital Wuhan. The city also accounted for 107 of the 139 new deaths reported in Hubei on Saturday.
Plasma and stem cell therapy possible treatments
Zhang Xinmin, director of the science and technology ministry’s biology centre, said the trial of convalescent plasma – taken from the blood of recovered Covid-19 patients – on 11 people with the virus had so far yielded positive results, with no side effects.
About 70 Shenzhen patients had also shown positive progress, with fewer side effects, to Favipiravir, an experimental antiviral drug. Meanwhile, Remdesivir, a US drug used to treat the Ebola virus, is being tested on 168 Wuhan patients presenting severe symptoms and 17 others with milder symptoms.
“We hope to introduce results of our clinical trials to our frontline medical staff as soon as possible,” Zhang said.
The Chinese government is also supporting research into stem-cell therapy as a potential treatment for the disease.
Zhou Qi, deputy secretary general of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said research was under way into the use of stem cell therapy and rheumatology medicines used to treat systemic inflammatory response syndrome (Sirs) which has been found in some patients.