Novel coronavirus outbreak may reach its peak in one week or about 10 days
GUANGZHOU-The novel coronavirus 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. “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 coronaviruscaused 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 is still the typical symptom of the novel coronavirus infection. 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. “Mass infection will not emerge because of Spring Festival holiday return trips, but screening and detection measures must continue,” Zhong said. He suggested that hospitals should be staffed with not only infectious disease specialists, but also specialists in treating severe cases to better save patients.
Meanwhile the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday that it will send international experts to China as soon as possible to increase understanding of the novel coronavirus outbreak situation and guide the global counterepidemic efforts. The announcement came after WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met with the Chinese leaders in Beijing earlier in the day. The two sides agreed that the WHO will send international experts to China to work with its Chinese counterparts to enhance understanding of the epidemic and guide the global counter-epidemic efforts, the WHO said in a statement. (Xinhua)