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China puts novel coronavirus mortality rate at 2.1%

04 February 2020 09:21 (UTC +04:00)

Only about 2.1% of people who contracted the novel coronavirus die of pneumonia caused by it, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Tuesday, APA reports citing TASS.

"Although the number of new cases of the coronavirus infection is growing, the mortality rate in China is very low and stands at 2.1% [from the overall number of those infected], which is way below the mortality rates of Ebola fever, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) or Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)," the spokesperson said on the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s official website.

"At present, the number of those who had recovered is growing steadily. We are absolutely sure of our ability to win this battle against the epidemic," she went on.

The Chinese diplomat added that "China’s efforts in fighting the outbreak were appreciated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the international community."

According to a latest report by China's National Health Commission, the number of people who contracted coronavirus in China has exceeded 20,400, the death toll reached to 425 as of Tuesday.