China Sees Decline in New Confirmed Cases and Rise in Discharges, but Suspected Cases and Deaths Surge

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] In China, where 563 people have died and 28,018 have been confirmed infected with the novel coronavirus so far, the decrease in new confirmed cases and increase in discharged patients are being interpreted as positive signs.

◆563 Deaths and 28,018 Confirmed Cases Nationwide in China= On the 6th, the National Health Commission of China (NHC) announced that as of midnight, 3,694 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus were added. Among the new confirmed cases, 640 are severe patients.

Seventy-three additional deaths were registered in one day. Of these, 70 deaths occurred in Hubei Province, where Wuhan City, the epicenter of the outbreak, is located. One death each was added in Tianjin, Heilongjiang, and Guizhou.

The cumulative total of confirmed coronavirus cases nationwide in China is now 28,018. A total of 1,153 patients have recovered and been discharged, but 26,302 patients are still receiving isolated treatment in hospitals. Among them, 3,859 are severe cases, so the death toll is likely to continue rising.

The total number of deaths recorded so far is 563. The number of suspected cases of the novel coronavirus is 24,702, and the number of close contacts is 282,813. Currently, 186,354 of the close contacts are under medical observation. Outside mainland China, in Chinese-speaking regions, there have been a total of 42 confirmed cases: 21 in Hong Kong (including 1 death), 10 in Macau, and 11 in Taiwan.

◆Decrease in New Confirmed Cases and Increase in Discharges= The statistics announced on the 6th show a decrease in new confirmed cases and an increase in discharged patients, which is a positive development.

On the 5th, from 0:00 to 24:00 nationwide, 3,694 new confirmed cases were registered. The number of new confirmed cases had been increasing: 2,829 on the 2nd, 3,235 on the 3rd, and 3,887 on the 4th, but the figure dropped to 3,694 on the 5th, indicating a trend reversal. The cumulative number of patients who recovered and were discharged after being confirmed with the novel coronavirus surpassed 1,000 for the first time. On that day, the NHC announced that 1,153 patients had been discharged. The number of discharged patients was only 243 as of the 31st of last month, but it rapidly increased to 632 on the 3rd, 892 on the 4th, and 1,153 on the 5th.

As the cumulative number of discharged patients increases, the gap between discharged and deceased patients is widening. Currently, the nationwide cumulative number of discharged patients exceeds the number of deaths by 590. As of the 31st of last month, there were 243 discharged patients and 259 deaths, with deaths outnumbering discharges, but this trend reversed this month, and the gap between discharged and deceased patients is growing.

◆Number of Additional Suspected Cases Still Increasing= The fact that the recent two-day decline in new suspected cases has reversed to an increase is a cause for concern.

The nationwide number of new suspected cases decreased from 5,173 on the 2nd to 5,072 on the 3rd and 3,971 on the 4th, raising hopes for controlling the virus spread. However, on the 5th, 5,328 new suspected cases were added during the 0:00 to 24:00 period, returning to the previous level of over 5,000 new cases daily. The cumulative number of suspected cases is now 24,702, the highest since the outbreak began.

The daily death toll, which had been around 60 for two consecutive days, exceeded 70 for the first time since the outbreak, demonstrating a frightening lethality and increasing fear.

The global spread of the novel coronavirus is also expanding. Currently, there are 202 confirmed cases overseas and 1 death. By country: Japan 35, Singapore 28, Thailand 25, South Korea 19, Australia 14, United States, Malaysia, Germany 12 each, Vietnam 10, France 6, United Arab Emirates and Canada 5 each, India 3, Italy, United Kingdom, Russia 2 each, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Finland, Cambodia, Sweden, Belgium, Spain 1 each.

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