Italy update: 56 Italian patients in intensive care.
“As per the spread of Coronavirus on national territory, at present the total number of infected cases reported is 650, in 12 regions and in an autonomous Province.
“In detail: there are 403 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Lombardy, 111 in Veneto, 97 in Emilia-Romagna, 19 in Liguria, 4 in Sicily, 3 in the Marche, 3 in Lazio, 3 in Campania, 2 in Piedmont, 2 in Tuscany, , 1 in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, 1 in Abruzzo. There are 248 hospitalized with symptoms, 56 are in Intensive Care, while 284 are in home isolation. 45 patients have recovered from the disease.”
Nations globally are ramping up for severe illness from novel coronavirus Covid-19.
Extraordinary precautions are being enacted in Europe, Asia and Australia with Saudis taking the unprecedented step of shutting down pilgrimages by foreigners to Islam’s holy sites.
Europe’s epicentre for coronavirus is still Italy but cases are mounting in 11 European countries including France, Germany and the UK.
Head of Civil Protection, Angelo Borrelli, said on Wednesday that Italian cases have rocketed to 528 confirmed infections and 14 deaths. 42 people have recovered.
There are 305 cases in Lombardy, an increase 47 from the previous day. 98 cases are in Veneto, an increase of 27. 97 confirmed cases are in Emilia Romagna area an increase of 50 overnight. Other smaller breakouts are spread across Italy.
The finance minister says Italy may sink into a recession because the four areas most affected produce 50 percent of GDP.
Deaths and infections are rising in Iran and South Korea with Iran cancelling Friday prayer congregations.
South Korea now has 1700 cases. Iran has 139 cases and 19 deaths, a likely case of underreporting by the regime.
In a visit to a French hospital where a local man died, President Emmanuel Macron said “we are facing an epidemic.”
This is Frances second death.
Coronavirus which came to light in December has extracted a heavy toll particularly in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province.
A daily summary issued by China stated:
“On Feb 26, 31 provincial-level regions on the Chinese mainland as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported 433 new cases of confirmed infections, 50 new cases of suspected infections, and 29 deaths (26 in Hubei province, 1 in Beijing municipality, 1 in Heilongjiang province, and 1 in Henan province). 2,750 patients were released from hospital after being cured.
“12,823 people who had had close contact with infected patients were freed from medical observation. Serious cases decreased by 406.”
“As of 24:00 on Feb 26, the National Health Commission had received 78,497 reports of confirmed cases and 2,744 deaths in 31 provincial-level regions on the Chinese mainland and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and in all 32,495 patients had been cured and discharged from hospital.
“There still remained 43,258 confirmed cases (including 8,346 in serious condition) and 2,358 suspected cases. So far, 652,174 people have been identified as having had close contact with infected patients. 71,572 are now under medical observation.
