Coronavirus: Worldwide cases overtake 2003 Sars outbreak

Monitoring Desk

BEIJING: The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed that of the Sars epidemic, which spread to more than two dozen countries in 2003.

There were around 8,100 cases of Sars – severe acute respiratory syndrome – reported during the eight-month outbreak.

But nearly 10,000 people have been infected with the new coronavirus, most in China, since it emerged in December.

More than 100 cases have been reported outside China, in 22 countries.

The number of deaths so far stands at 213 – all in China. In total, 774 people were killed by Sars.

On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency over the new outbreak.

Most international cases are in people who have been to the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province, where the virus originated.

But Germany, Japan, Vietnam, the United States, Thailand and South Korea have reported cases of patients being infected by people who had travelled to China.

Wuhan’s Communist Party chief said on Friday the city should have taken measures sooner to contain the virus.

“If strict control measures had been taken earlier, the result would have been better than now,” Ma Guoqiang told state broadcaster CCTV.

“The epidemic may have been alleviated somewhat, and not got to the current situation.”

Sars was a type of coronavirus that first emerged in China’s Guangdong province in November 2002. By the time the outbreak ended the following July, it had spread to more than two dozen countries.

The new coronavirus emerged only last month. So far, it has spread to fewer countries and – while more people have been infected globally – it has resulted in fewer deaths.

On Wednesday, the number of confirmed cases within China surpassed the Sars epidemic. (BBC)