Death toll from novel coronavirus in China rises to 361

China is struggling with the new coronavirus as the total of 17,238 cases have been confirmed on the Chinese mainland and atleast 160 case confirmed in more than two dozen countries. It has left 361 dead in China and 1 in Philippines. 475 patients have recovered in China. Newly built 1000 bed hospital in Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak has been handed over to Chinese Army medical team which is expected to take patients from today. This is expected to ease pressure on Wuhan’s existing hospitals.

Beijing's China-Japan Friendship Hospital will start a clinical trial on the treatment of the novel coronavirus with Remdesivir, an antiviral drug, in Wuhan, Hubei Province, as number of cases has reached close to 200 in Beijing city. In Beijing, a new factory capable of producing tens of millions of masks per month has been completed in 7 days and put into production on Saturday.

As many Chinese will start returning to work after spring festival holidays from today, China is also fighting with widespread rumours along with the rise in



number of infection cases.

China is racing against time as news of coronavirus infections mingled with the deluge of conflicting information tumbles out on a daily basis. A traditional Chinese medicine syrup has become the latest commodity in the panic buying spree, on the heels of the frenzy over face masks.

After a report cited its effectiveness, Snaking queues could be seen outside pharmacies in the ground zero of Wuhan and many other cities which also tripled its online prices. Such indulgent buying has also sprawled to masks, hand sanitizers, thermometers, and staple food.

Panic has also fueled discrimination, as there are numerous reports of such cases against residents from Hubei Province and discrimination abroad against Chinese people. Some reputed news publications abroad have been criticised over discriminative headlines. As paranoia stemming from misinformation and ingrained biases, only fans tension, support to humanity is the need of hour as the pandemic will finally pass.