Death toll from Coronavirus soars to 1300, more cases reported

Death toll from coronavirus jumped in China’s Hubei province on Thursday under a new method for diagnosing cases.

Health experts warned the epidemic could get worse before it gets better following Coronavirus fears.

Health officials in Hubei province said 242 people had died from the flu-like virus, the fastest rise in the daily count.

It brings the total number of deaths in the province to 1,310.

The previous record rise in the toll was 103 on February 10.

The grim new tally came a day after China had reported its lowest number of new coronavirus cases in two weeks.

But the 2,015 new confirmed cases reported in mainland China on Wednesday were dwarfed by the 14,840 new cases reported in Hubei alone on Thursday, after provincial officials started using computerized tomography (CT) scans to look for infections.

Hubei had previously only allowed infections to be confirmed by RNA tests, which can take days to process and delay treatment.

RNA, or ribonucleic acid, carries genetic information allowing for identification of organisms like viruses.

Using CT scans that reveal lung infections would help patients receive treatment as soon as possible and improve their chances of recovery, the Hubei health commission said.

The new diagnostic procedure also could lead to a spike in the death toll, according to Raina McIntyre, head of biosecurity research at the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.

Stricter rules for identifying coronavirus cases, patients were often denied access to treatment or went undiagnosed.

The new testing methodology is only being used in Hubei province so far, Chinese officials said.