China’s National Health Commission on Tuesday reported 31 new deaths from the coronavirus outbreak, taking the toll to 2,943, The South China Morning Post reported. The commission also reported 125 new infections, thus continuing a declining trend over the last week.
A total of 47,204 patients have now recovered from the virus. Of the 125 new cases reported on Monday, 114 were from the worst-affected Hubei province.
Meanwhile, South Korea, the country most affected after China, reported 477 new cases of the virus on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 4,812. As many as 29 people have died so far in South Korea.
In the United States, the toll rose to six on Monday, all in the state of Washington, AFP reported. Washington state reported four new cases, taking the total number of cases in the United States above 90.
Vice President Mike Pence announced that a treatment for the disease could be available by summer or early winter, but said a vaccine would take longer. Pence also said the federal government intends to screen all passengers coming in from Italy and South Korea.
“Although most of the cases will be mild or moderate, the infection can cause serious illness and there’s a potential for many people to become ill at the same time,” Jeff Duchin, a health officer in King County said.
India
National carrier Air India has told the crew of the aircraft which flew in a coronavirus patient to stay at home, NDTV reported. A Delhi resident aboard a Vienna-Delhi flight on Monday tested positive for the virus.
“You are required to stay in isolation for 14 days at your respective homes and report to health authorities in case of any symptoms of coronavirus as a passenger was detected positive for coronavirus in your flight,” a memo from Air India to its crew said. It is not clear whether the passengers have also been asked to isolate themselves.
Rajasthan and Telangana also reported their first coronavirus cases on Monday, taking the total number of cases in India to six.
Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu said a medical team is monitoring the health of all people who had stayed with the techie from Hyderabad who has tested positive for COVID-19. “It has come to our knowledge that the coronavirus-hit person in Hyderabad had gone from Bengaluru,” Sriramulu tweeted. “Therefore, all the members in the house where he had stayed here have been identified and are under watch.”
Telangana Health Minister E Rajender told reporters in Hyderabad that the techie had worked with people from Hong Kong in Dubai, where he likely contracted the virus.
Meanwhile, pharmaceutical units in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial belt of Himachal Pradesh have warned of suspension of production due to inability to import raw materials from China to make medicines, The Indian Express reported.
The price of paracetamol has nearly doubled since January, the newspaper said quoting sources. The cost of methylcobalamin, a form of Vitamin B12, is up from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh per kg. APIs, also called bulk drugs, are key ingredients in the manufacture of medicines. India imports 70% to 80% of its APIs. Hubei province in China is a major supplier of these drugs.
Also read: Coronavirus outbreak: How to protect yourself from the virus
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