Health Experts Warn of "Critical Threshold" in Medical Infrastructure in China

Professor Jeon Byung-ryul "Lack of Medical Infrastructure in China Will Increase Deaths"
Wuhan's Medical Infrastructure Particularly Insufficient
China's Novel Coronavirus Deaths Exceed SARS Outbreak Numbers

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News] Hospital beds are being installed at an exhibition hall in Wuhan, China, to accommodate patients with the novel coronavirus.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] "Medical infrastructure in China has already reached a critical point. Due to a shortage of medical personnel and equipment, confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus are not receiving timely treatment, so the number of deaths is inevitably surging."

Jeon Byung-ryul, a professor at CHA University Graduate School of Medicine and former director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, explained the rapid increase in deaths from the novel coronavirus (Wuhan pneumonia) in China during a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 6th. Professor Jeon said, "When suspected cases of the novel coronavirus visit hospitals, they should be diagnosed and treated if positive, but it seems this process is not being properly carried out." He added, "If confirmed patients do not receive treatment, it is difficult to prevent deaths caused by pneumonia and acute respiratory failure." He also noted, "The lack of medical infrastructure leads to a vicious cycle where untreated patients transmit the virus to others."

◆ 'Concentration of Deaths in China' Due to Poor Medical Infrastructure = As Professor Jeon explained, the number of deaths from the novel coronavirus in China has sharply increased since the 1st. The cumulative death toll in China, which was 259 as of the 1st, has now exceeded 560. On the 5th alone, 73 additional deaths were reported, with the daily increase in deaths reaching new highs. Currently, there are 3,859 severe patients receiving treatment in hospitals, so the death toll is likely to continue rising.

In contrast, among the 27 countries outside China where the novel coronavirus has broken out, only 2 deaths have been reported?one each in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Regarding this, Professor Jeon said, "Countries outside China have concentrated personnel and equipment from the early stages of the outbreak to manage not only confirmed cases but also contacts, so the number of deaths is not large." As a result, the fact that the epidemic originated in Wuhan, where medical infrastructure is extremely weak, has created the worst possible situation.

China Central Television (CCTV) cited the National Health Commission of China on the 4th, reporting that as of the 2nd, the mortality rate of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan had soared to 5.15%. The mortality rate in Hubei Province reached 3.13%. This is about four times higher than the average mortality rate in other regions of China. Chinese infectious disease expert Li Lanjuan explained, "Compared to Wuhan and Hubei Province, the number of patients per doctor in other regions of China is much lower," adding, "Currently, at the peak of novel coronavirus infections, the number of patients is rapidly increasing, but medical personnel and supplies in the Wuhan area are insufficient."

◆ Damage Greater Than SARS = At the 'Novel Coronavirus Infection Response Measures Forum' held on the 5th, where medical and scientific experts gathered, the issue of Wuhan's medical infrastructure was also pointed out. Professor Lee Jong-gu of Seoul National University College of Medicine (former director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) said, "When an epidemic progresses to a certain extent, medical institutions cannot handle the patients," adding, "Wuhan's limited medical infrastructure likely caused the high mortality rate."

Meanwhile, the number of deaths from the novel coronavirus in China has already surpassed the death toll from the SARS outbreak in 2002. Although SARS had a fatality rate of 10%, the higher number of deaths from the novel coronavirus is believed to be due to its strong infectivity causing a large increase in confirmed cases, while medical institutions to treat them are insufficient. During the SARS epidemic, about 5,300 people were infected in China, with 349 deaths.

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