Rate Of Coronavirus Deaths Drops But Some Warn Any Optimism Is Premature

The Associated Press: New Virus Cases Fall; WHO Says China Bought The World Time
China reported 143 virus deaths and a dip in new cases Saturday while the head of the World Health Organization praised the country's efforts to contain the new disease, saying they have "bought the world time" and that other nations must make the most of it. France, meanwhile, reported Europe's first death from the new virus, a Chinese tourist from Hubei province, where the disease emerged in December. The United States was preparing to fly home American passengers quarantined aboard a cruise ship in Japan. (Wang, 2/14)

The New York Times: Rate Of New Fatalities Drops In China
China’s National Health Commission on Monday reported 2,048 new cases of coronavirus infections and 105 new deaths over the previous 24 hours. The number of new deaths dropped from the previous day, when 142 deaths were reported, though the increase in the number of new infections remained steady. The vast majority of cases and deaths have occurred in Hubei Province, where the outbreak began, though the commission’s latest announcement also reported three deaths in neighboring Henan Province and two in Guangdong, the province next to Hong Kong. (2/16)

ABC News: China Counts Over 72,000 Cases Of Novel Coronavirus As Death Toll Rises - ABC News
China's mainland reported 1,886 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 98 more deaths on Tuesday, as recent data appears to show a decline in the number of new infections since early this month... A new study by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, an agency of the National Health Commission, found that more than 80% of people who contracted the newly discovered virus -- known officially as COVID-19 -- had mild symptoms and recovered, while 14% of the cases studied included severe symptoms, like pneumonia and shortness of breath. About 5% of patients had critical symptoms, such as organ and respiratory failure and septic shock. (Winsor, 2/18)

The Washington Post: China Cases Will Plateau, Expert Predicts, As Diamond Princess Evacuation Continues 
Officials have been sounding a more upbeat note in recent days about the prospects for containing the virus. But a renowned Chinese pulmonologist who predicted a peak this month has since clarified his remarks to say that the peak may be followed by a plateau, rather than an outright fall in cases. Here is what we know so far. (Fifield, 2/18)

The Associated Press: Chinese Health Report Says 80% Of Virus Cases Have Been Mild
Health officials in China have published the first details on nearly 45,000 cases of the novel coronavirus disease that originated there, saying more than 80% have been mild and new ones seem to be falling since early this month, although it’s far too soon to tell whether the outbreak has peaked. Monday’s report from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention gives the World Health Organization a “clearer picture of the outbreak, how it’s developing and where it’s headed,” WHO’s director-general said at a news conference. (Marchione, 2/16)

CBS News: China Says Coronavirus Infections Declining But Experts Say Many Cases May Be Undetected
The virus only proves fatal, according to current data, in about 2% of people infected, with the risks increasing significantly for patients of older age. But infectious disease experts have spoken up to say that figure might actually be lower — the disease could be less deadly — because there could be thousands of undetected infections around the world, many of them mild or even asymptomatic. (2/18)

Reuters: Hospital Director Dies In China's Wuhan, Epicenter Of Coronavirus Outbreak
The head of a leading hospital in China's central city of Wuhan, the epicenter of a coronavirus outbreak, died of the disease on Tuesday, state television said, becoming the second prominent Chinese doctor to have succumbed to the pathogen. Liu Zhiming, the director of Wuhan Wuchang Hospital, died at 10:30 a.m., it said. Earlier this month, millions in China mourned the death of Li Wenliang, a doctor who was previously reprimanded for issuing an early warning about the coronavirus. (2/18)

NBC News: Coronavirus Updates: Wuhan Hospital Director Dies As Death Toll Nears 2,000
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told reporters Tuesday the Chinese government and people have been making “all-out efforts” to counter the outbreak. “The most stringent and thorough measures have been taken and relevant efforts are gradually showing their effects,” Geng said. “We have the confidence and capability to win this battle.” (2/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Cabin Fever: Working From Home Tests Employees’ Endurance
As David Chang tried to talk on the phone with a colleague, his daughter banged away at the study-room door, and then, exasperated, slipped a note under it: She wanted to come in and do her homework. “Love you Avery. Love you Aidan. I’m on a call,” the real-estate executive wrote back. His reply returned with the 6-year-old’s response scribbled on the back: “Why didn’t you read my note?” (Yoon, 2/17)

The New York Times: Slowed By The Coronavirus, China Inc. Struggles To Reopen
Airbus is slowly restarting its assembly line in China. General Motors began limited production on Saturday. Toyota followed on Monday morning. Fitfully and painfully — and with some worried prodding from Beijing — China is trying to reopen for business. The world’s second-largest economy practically shut down three weeks ago as a viral outbreak sickened tens of thousands of people, unexpectedly lengthening a Chinese holiday. The freeze set off warnings that the global economy could be in jeopardy if the world’s pre-eminent manufacturing powerhouse stayed shut for long. (Bradsher, 2/17)