The death toll due to deadly 'Covid-19' reached 1,115 on Tuesday. Similarly, 45,169 cases have been reported from around the world. Meanwhile, at least 500 medical staff, working at the front-line against the epidemic are reported to have contracted the deadly disease.
Coronavirus: Latest updates
On Tuesday, China confirmed 97 deaths and 2,015 new cases of Covid-19 infection. Thus, the coronavirus toll in mainland China has reached 1,113; while 44,653 cases have been confirmed in the country, Global Times reported.
China's hard-hit Hubei province, that has served as the epicentre of the virus outbreak, reported 1,638 out of 2,015 cases confirmed. 94 fatalities were reported in Hubei, on Tuesday. Hubei's capital Wuhan, where the disease is believed to have first originated, reported 1,104 new cases.
Though there has been a fall in the number of cases and fatalities, threat looms high as Covid-19 spreads at a faster pace, as compared to Ebola and SARS. Though the virus is zoonotic in nature, its transmission from human-to-human has been confirmed.
500 medics in Wuhan get infected
The first case of Covid-19 infection was reported in Hubei's capital Wuhan, on December 31. After that a large number of cases and fatalities were reported in the city, prompting the authorities to impose widespread travel restrictions in the city and curb on public gatherings.
At least 500 medical staffs have been infected with the deadly virus, multiple medical sources confirmed, South China Morning Post reported. 500 medics were infected in mid-January, while there are 600 suspected cases.
Those infected included at least 100 staff from both Wuhan Xiehe Hospital and Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, with a further 50 cases each from Wuhan Number 1 Hospital and Zhongnan Hospital. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, on February 7, pegged the number of medical staff infected, at 40.
According to the report, though the government has reported the individual infection cases of health-care workers, it has understated the numbers. The case that caught public's eye considerably, was that of Li Wenliang, a Wuhan doctor reprimanded over ringing the alarm over coronavirus cases, late in December, died of the disease on February 7.
Another doctor, the 62-years old Liang Wudong who was at the front-line fighting against the Covid-19 epidemic, got infected and died of the disease, late in January. Such a large number of cases among medicos can lead to insufficiency in working staff. Also, it can lead to a drop in morale among other workers. Medical workers can get infected due to lack of protective gear and knowledge about how the contagion spreads. Prolonged working hours have also taken a toll on the workers battling against the deadly epidemic.
