Over 1,700 Healthcare Workers Infected with Coronavirus in China

Over 1,700 healthcare workers have been infected with the novel coronavirus in China, with six fatalities reported. This was announced by the head of the State Committee for Hygiene and Health of the People's Republic of China, Qin Yixin, during a press conference in Beijing on February 14.

“As of 24:00 on February 11, there were 1,716 confirmed cases of illness among healthcare workers, six of whom have tragically passed away,” he stated. Qin Yixin also noted that the number of infected healthcare personnel is on the rise.

The Health Committee had previously reported that over 21,500 doctors from across China had arrived in Hubei Province to assist their colleagues in the battle against the coronavirus. “As of February 12, our committee has sent 189 medical teams to Hubei Province, comprising 21,568 healthcare workers,” the statement reads.

On February 12 alone, 1,003 doctors and 1,681 nurses arrived in Hubei Province from 17 regions of the country. Since January 24, assistance in materials, including protective clothing and masks, as well as specialists, has been sent to Wuhan city and Hubei Province from other regions, as local doctors were struggling to manage the large influx of patients and were forced to work 12-hour shifts.

Given that the greatest responsibility in the fight against the coronavirus lies with doctors, they have begun to be referred to in the country as “angels in white coats” or “white-gowned warriors,” TASS reports.