February 18, 2020, 12:18 PM
Mainland China’s novel coronavirus death toll has hit 1,868 at the end of Monday, Feb. 17.
This was after 98 more people died, the country’s National Health Commission reported.
A total of 1,789 deaths came from the Hubei Province, which is the epicentre of the virus.
A total of 72,436 have now been infected nationwide by the virus, which first emerged in December 2019 in central Hubei province before spreading across the country.
#LATEST on #COVID19 outbreak in China, as of Feb 17:
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) February 18, 2020
- 72,436 confirmed cases in Chinese mainland
- 1,868 deaths
- 12,552 discharged from hospital pic.twitter.com/6YfdW8IOkd
There were 1,886 new cases reported, a decline on Monday's figure.
It is also the lowest single-day figure of new cases so far this month.
The number of new cases reported outside Hubei province was just 79, down from 890 on Feb. 4.
It marks the lowest number of new cases outside the virus-struck province since Jan. 23.
China's Hubei Province reported 93 new deaths, 1,223 hospital discharges and 1,807 new confirmed cases on Feb. 17.
China's #Hubei Province, the epicenter of #COVID19, reported 93 new deaths, 1,223 hospital discharges and 1,807 new confirmed cases on Feb 17. More details:
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) February 18, 2020
- 59,989 confirmed cases
- 1,789 deaths
- 7,862 discharged from hospital pic.twitter.com/dvdmDGTJAe
Recovered patients urged to donate blood to extract plasma
Chinese health officials have urged patients who recovered from the coronavirus to donate blood.
This is to allow the extraction of plasma that can be used to treat others who are critically ill.
Plasma from patients who have recovered from a spell of pneumonia triggered by Covid-19 contains antibodies that can help reduce the virus load in critically ill patients, an official from the National Health Commission told a press briefing Monday.
More than 12,000 people have recovered and been discharged, according to health commission figures.
Top photo via Xinhua
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