Confirmed Wuhan Pneumonia Cases Snowballing... Surpassing 400 Is Only a Matter of Time

The entrance of the infectious disease emergency room at Beijing Ditan Hospital, where confirmed Wuhan pneumonia patients are isolated and receiving treatment. On the 21st, patients wearing masks are coming in and out of the hospital entrance. Photo by Sunmi Park, Beijing correspondent

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] On the 22nd, the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in China has already exceeded 300 and is rapidly approaching 400.

According to the National Health Commission of China (NHC) as of 8:26 a.m. (local time) on the 22nd, the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in China stands at 270 in Hubei Province, 10 in Beijing, 17 in Guangdong Province, 6 in Shanghai, 5 in Zhejiang Province, 1 in Yunnan Province, 2 in Sichuan Province, 1 in Shandong Province, 2 in Jiangxi Province, 2 in Tianjin, 1 in Henan Province, 5 in Chongqing, 1 in Hunan Province, and 1 in Taiwan, totaling 324 cases.

In addition to these regions, over 100 suspected cases have been reported in 9 other provinces and Hong Kong, raising concerns that the total confirmed cases could reach around 400 by the end of the day. Six deaths have already been reported.

The Chinese government has expressed its commitment to doing its best to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, but it appears to be more focused on controlling information and the media to prevent the anxiety about the epidemic from spreading throughout society.

Chinese schools, which started winter vacation early before the Lunar New Year, sent urgent notices the previous evening to parents in each class’s group chat, asking families to pay attention to personal hygiene. The notice advised washing hands thoroughly, wearing masks, and avoiding contact with wild animals due to the increased movement during the Lunar New Year period and the risk of infection. However, specific names of infectious diseases such as Wuhan pneumonia or the novel coronavirus were not mentioned.

Although the number of confirmed Wuhan pneumonia cases in China quickly surpassed 300, the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper, the People’s Daily, filled the front page of its issue that day with news of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Yunnan Province and Lunar New Year greetings rather than epidemic news. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus was reported on page 4, but it was only a brief factual report on the confirmed case statistics as of midnight on the 20th.

Koreans residing in Wuhan are unable to hide their anxiety over the sudden surge in confirmed cases.

One Korean resident in Wuhan said, "There are rumors that the number of infected patients in Wuhan hospitals has suddenly increased and that there is a shortage of nursing staff. Until just before the weekend, the atmosphere was that 'it’s okay,' but with the sudden surge in confirmed cases, the Korean community is very anxious. All we can do is wear masks and wash our hands. I don’t really feel that quarantine measures have been strengthened throughout Wuhan."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.