Among 4 New Domestic Cases, 3 Are Estimated as '2nd or 3rd Generation Infections'

Among 12 confirmed cases this month, 10 are either arrivals from outside China or domestic infections
Quarantine measures focused on arrivals from China need revision
Number of deaths in China increased by 73 in one day

New coronavirus patients in China are being accommodated at a temporary hospital in Wuhan, converted from a convention center on the 5th.

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi, Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The number of deaths from the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) in China reached 73 in a single day on the 5th. This is the highest daily death toll since the outbreak began in December last year. The total number of deaths reached 563, surpassing the total deaths from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012, which was 479. In South Korea, 4 additional patients were confirmed on the 6th. Including one patient discharged the previous day, the total confirmed cases increased to 23, showing a rapid rise in casualties due to the novel coronavirus situation. ▶Related articles on pages 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 18, 19

According to data released by the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the same day, among the 4 newly confirmed patients, 3 appear to have no history of visiting Wuhan. The 20th patient is the wife of the 15th confirmed case who had traveled to Wuhan, China, and the 21st patient is a contact of the 6th patient, the first domestic secondary infection case. The 22nd patient is the husband of the 16th patient, who was confirmed after returning from Thailand, and also has no history of visiting Wuhan.

The 23rd patient is a Chinese woman who entered the country on the 23rd of last month for travel purposes. At that time, the Chinese government had imposed lockdown measures on Wuhan city. Whether she visited Wuhan during her stay in China has not yet been revealed. An epidemiological investigation is currently underway regarding her specific movements and contact history.

Among the 12 patients confirmed domestically since February, only 2 (the 13th and 15th patients) have confirmed visits to Wuhan. Up to 6 patients are likely to have been infected in third countries such as Japan, Thailand, or Singapore, and the rest are presumed to have been infected through contact with domestic patients. This has led to calls for revising the quarantine system to consider transmission in countries other than China as well as community spread.

In China, the number of confirmed cases and deaths continues to surge daily. On this day, the National Health Commission of China (NHC) announced that 3,694 new confirmed cases were reported as of midnight. The cumulative confirmed cases reached 28,018, and it is expected to exceed 30,000 the following day. Although 1,153 patients have recovered and been discharged, 26,302 patients remain in isolation and treatment in hospitals. 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.

The number of deaths increased by 73 in one day, with 70 of those in Hubei Province, where Wuhan city is located. One new death each was reported in Tianjin, Heilongjiang, and Guizhou. The previous day’s death toll of 65 was already the highest since the outbreak began, and it increased further on this day. The trend is showing a steeper rise recently. Among the newly confirmed cases, 640 are in severe condition, and including existing patients, about 4,000 are in critical condition, indicating a high possibility of a rapid increase in deaths. In Japan, 10 additional infected individuals were confirmed on a cruise ship docked at Yokohama Port, bringing the total confirmed cases on the ship to 20.

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