Coronavirus outbreak could peak in 10 days, says China expert

A viral outbreak that has killed 106 people in China could reach its peak in around 10 days, a top Chinese government expert said Tuesday (Jan 28).

The novel coronavirus that has infected thousands of people across China has genetic similarities to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), a pathogen that left some 650 people dead on the mainland and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.

The new virus first emerged in early December in the central city of Wuhan and the number of cases has soared in recent days, doubling to more than 4,500 in the past 24 hours.

Zhong Nanshan, a renowned scientist at China’s National Health Commission, told the official Xinhua news agency that the outbreak “will not increase at a large scale”.

“I believe it should reach a peak in a week or around 10 days,” Zhong said.

Zhong told Xinhua that the “fatality rate would certainly continue to fall” even though no cure had been found so far, thanks to life support technology and efforts of researchers and medical workers.

The virus spread quickly through Wuhan because “there could have been many mild cases that were similar to regular colds,” Zeng Guang, a member of the health commission’s senior expert panel, told state broadcaster CCTV.

“The battle of Wuhan is taking place under a situation where there is no clear boundary between us and the enemy,” Zeng said.