The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China reached at least 1,868 as of the end of Monday, with additional 93 deaths from Hubei and five more in other parts of the country, according to the country's health commission on Tuesday. 

The government also reported an additional 1,886 new infections across the country, but mostly from Hubei, bringing the nationwide total to at least 72,436.

The news comes as the Beijing-based financial and news media organisation, Caixin, reported on Tuesday that more than 3,000 Chinese healthcare workers may have already been infected by the coronavirus, almost twice as many as the numbers reported by the government.

A report published on Monday by Al Jazeera detailed the difficulties nurses and doctors are facing in Wuhan, as they try to help contain the spread of the disease.

According to the report, 1,716 healthcare workers were infected, citing a government statement on February 14.

The news site also reported that almost half of the patients in critical condition die.

Meanwhile, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said Chinese medical data showed that more than 80 percent of patients have mild symptoms and will recover, while 14 percent suffer from severe complications such as pneumonia, 5 percent are in critical condition and 2 percent die from the disease.

Source: Al Jazeera News

BDST: 1155 HRS, FEB 18, 2020
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