2024 RT Amination Banner.gif

China Daily

News> Nation> Content
Wednesday, January 29, 2020, 20:53
Expert: Virus outbreak may reach peak in 1 week or about 10 days
By Xinhua
Wednesday, January 29, 2020, 20:53 By Xinhua

By the end of Tuesday, 5,974 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions. A total of 132 people had died of the disease, according to the National Health Commission.


GUANGZHOU - The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak may reach its peak in one week or around 10 days, renowned Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan said Tuesday in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

There are two keys to tackling the epidemic: early detection and early isolation. They are the most primitive and most effective methods

Zhong Nanshan, Chinese respiratory expert

"It is very difficult to definitely estimate when the outbreak reaches its peak. But I think in one week or about 10 days, it will reach the climax and then there will be no large-scale increases," Zhong said.

Zhong is the head of a national team of experts set up for the control and prevention of the novel coronavirus-caused pneumonia and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

"There are two keys to tackling the epidemic: early detection and early isolation. They are the most primitive and most effective methods," he said.

Zhong said fever and weakness are the typical symptoms of the novel coronavirus infection for the majority of patients.

ALSO READ: China fast-tracks novel coronavirus vaccine development

Ten to 14 days is a sound period for isolation and observation: When the incubation period ends, those who fall sick will get timely treatment and those who do not will be just fine.

Renowned Chinese respiratory scientist Zhong Nanshan receives an interview with Xinhua in Guangzhou, Jan 28, 2020. (LIU DAWEI / XINHUA)

He suggested that hospitals should be staffed with not only infectious disease specialists, but also specialists in treating severe cases to better save patients.

Zhong suggested that hospitals should be staffed with not only infectious disease specialists, but also specialists in treating severe cases to better save patients

By the end of Tuesday, 5,974 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions. A total of 132 people had died of the disease, according to the National Health Commission.

Among the total, Hubei province in central China reported a total of 3,554 confirmed cases of the pneumonia caused by the virus. Wuhan, the provincial capital, is the center of the outbreak.

Epidemiologically, the novel coronavirus is homologous to the virus discovered in a type of bat in 2017, said Zhong, adding that the 2019-nCoV probably has an intermediate host that may be a certain kind of wild animal.

"The SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak lasted about six months, but I don't believe the novel coronavirus outbreak would last that long," said Zhong.

The country has taken a series of powerful measures, especially early detection and early isolation. "We have sufficient confidence in preventing a major outbreak or a recurrence as long as the two measures are in place, although we still need to conduct much scientific research," he said.

Noting that a key for Wuhan is how to reduce infections inside hospitals, Zhong said he supported the construction of makeshift hospitals in the city to control the infectious disease.

Zhong said the activation of top-level public health emergency response was aimed at reducing the chance of infection.

READ MORE: China postpones school semester as 4,515 infected, 106 dead

The vaccine development may need three to four months or even longer, said Zhong. "Now scientists are speeding up research of neutralizing antibodies of the virus, but it takes time."

"With help from across the country, Wuhan, a heroic city, will pull through," Zhong said.

Reporting by Wang Pan, Xiao Sisi, Li Laifang, Lou Chen, Cui Enhui;Video reporters: Wang Pan, Wang Ruiping; Video editor: Liu Ruoshi


Share this story

CHINA DAILY
HONG KONG NEWS
OPEN
Please click in the upper right corner to open it in your browser !