A video posted on Twitter shows chaos in the corridors of a Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan, the city where the new coronavirus strain broke out, that has killed 41 people. The 40-second video was republished on Twitter by a contributor to the South China Morning Post, where you can see a crowded corridor and what a nurse says are corpses covered by blankets.
Initially posted on the Chinese social network Weibo (similar to Twitter) by a hospital nurse, the video was eventually removed – possibly due to the censorship policy carried out by the Chinese authorities. It was republished by Thomas Yau of the South China Morning Post, with the caption: “She [a enfermeira] said health professionals and patients remain with three corpses in the hallway of a crowded hospital. Nobody is here to take care of the bodies ”. The information on whether they are, in fact, corpses with patients has not yet been confirmed by the local press. Just as the day on which the video was recorded is not certain, nor if the patients are infected with the virus.
A weibo video posted by a person claiming to be a nurse in #Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. She said medical workers and patients were stuck with three deceased in a packed hospital corridor. No one is here to take care of the bodies. #WuhanPneumonia pic.twitter.com/MKumfLDPki
– Thomas Yau (@Tominmedill) January 24, 2020
In view of the multiplication of cases of people infected with the new coronavirus strain – that came from the snakes – China began by announcing that it would build a hospital in just ten days to treat patients. Altogether it will have 25 thousand square meters. The inauguration is scheduled for February 3. The unit will have 1,000 beds and doctors specialized in treating the virus.
This Saturday, due to the increase in the number of infected (there are almost 1,300 in China), the country has announced that it will build a second hospital, this time in 15 days. It will have a capacity of 1,300 beds and will be called Leishenshan Hospital. The works have already started.
In addition to China, the new strain has already reached 13 other countries: five cases detected in Thailand, five in Hong Kong, three in Singapore, three in Taiwan, two in Macau, three in Japan, two in Vietnam, two in South Korea , two in the USA, three in France, one in Nepal, four in Australia and three in Malaysia.
This Saturday, Hong Kong declared a state of emergency and will keep schools closed for the next few weeks. In addition, it will block access to trains and planes from Wuhan, which is quarantined. According to the Associated Press, another 16 cities are still quarantined near Wuhan, which concentrate 50 million people (more than the population of New York, London, Paris and Moscow combined).
Several videos on social media show the streets of Wuhan completely deserted. The BBC’s China correspondent Stephen McDonell has reported the state of the city on Twitter.
The streets are empty in the small towns of Hubei Province where the #coronavirus outbreak started. #China pic.twitter.com/uwycGlhDtQ
– Stephen McDonell (@StephenMcDonell) January 25, 2020
Just entered Hubei Province where the #coronarvirus outbreak started. virtually nobody on the streets here. At the checkpoint the police said we can go in but they won’t let us back out. It looks like the entire province of Hubei, population 30 million, to be locked down.#China pic.twitter.com/DnwPAT9Dgs
– Stephen McDonell (@StephenMcDonell) January 25, 2020
… And on the transport to Wuhan.
The inside of a high speed train right now heading in the direction of #Hubei Province (where the #coronavirus outbreak started). #China #Wuhan pic.twitter.com/VBKHVfX7w6
– Stephen McDonell (@StephenMcDonell) January 25, 2020
Stephen McDonell also shows the security measures he went through to enter Wuhan. “They took my temperature,” he says.
Just passed a screening point in Henan close to the border with Hubei and had my temperature checked. #coronavirus #China pic.twitter.com/8ObXk18Uq9
– Stephen McDonell (@StephenMcDonell) January 25, 2020
The Wall Street Journal advances that the United States of America highlighted planes charter to evacuate American citizens, including diplomats, from the city of Wuhan.
Also this Saturday, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control issued a statement, stating that the arrival of the virus in Europe “was not unexpected”, but “the fact that these cases have been identified” proves “a high level of preparedness for prevent and control possible infections ”. The entity added that more cases are likely to be detected in the coming days.
“Most EU countries have plans and measures in place to contain this type of infections and Europe has well-equipped laboratories that can confirm probable cases, as well as hospitals prepared to treat infected patients.”
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