China Denies Death of Hospital Chief Due to Coronavirus

The head of the health department in China's Hubei province has denied reports in the media stating that the chief doctor of a temporary hospital in Wuhan has died from the novel coronavirus, according to the Daily Mail.

Reports indicate that Dr. Liu Zhiming is actually alive but is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

Earlier, it was reported that Dr. Liu Zhiming, the director of one of the temporary hospitals in Wuhan, which is considered the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, had died. “Director Liu Zhiming of the Wuhan hospital, infected with COVID-19, died on February 17. He is the first hospital chief to have died from the virus,” Chinese media stated.

In total, 1,770 people have died from the novel coronavirus in China, with 1,696 of those deaths occurring in Hubei province. Additionally, there are 58,000 individuals currently hospitalized, with 8,000 in serious condition and more than 1,700 in critical condition. Over 6,500 infected patients have been treated successfully. Experts assure that the peak of the epidemic has already passed.