Hospital director dies in Wuhan; China designates dead nurses, doctors as 'martyrs'
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Splash
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Long Read
  • Games
  • Epaper
  • More
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Subscribe
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard
THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022
THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Splash
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Long Read
  • Games
  • Epaper
  • More
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Subscribe
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
Hospital director dies in Wuhan; China designates dead nurses, doctors as 'martyrs'

World+Biz

TBS Report
19 February, 2020, 09:10 am
Last modified: 19 February, 2020, 09:16 am

Related News

  • Tightening Covid net, Beijing deals out punishments, stark warnings
  • Beijing ramps up Covid quarantine, Shanghai residents decry uneven rules
  • Indonesia to drop outdoor mask mandate as Covid-19 infections drop
  • Shanghai achieves 'zero Covid' status but normal life is weeks away
  • WHO: Covid-19 falling everywhere, except Americas and Africa

Hospital director dies in Wuhan; China designates dead nurses, doctors as 'martyrs'

Liu’s death could renew criticism that the government has not done enough to protect frontline medical workers, many of whom are overworked and overstretched

TBS Report
19 February, 2020, 09:10 am
Last modified: 19 February, 2020, 09:16 am
A medical worker rests at the isolation ward of the Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan, China, on Sunday, February 16. Photo: CNN
A medical worker rests at the isolation ward of the Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan, China, on Sunday, February 16. Photo: CNN

Liu Zhiming, the director of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died of the disease on Tuesday according to Chine state television, becoming the second prominent Chinese doctor to have succumbed to the pathogen. 

The state media on the same day reported that doctors and nurses who die while trying to contain the outbreak will officially be designated as "martyrs", CNN reported.  

Earlier this month, millions in China mourned the death of Li Wenliang, a doctor who was previously reprimanded for issuing an early warning about the coronavirus. 

Tens of thousands of medical workers have been fighting to contain the spread of the coronavirus, believed to have first surfaced in a seafood market in Wuhan, the capital of the central province of Hubei, Reuters reported.

Liu's death could renew criticism that the government has not done enough to protect frontline medical workers, many of whom are overworked and overstretched.

Wuhan Hospital Director Liu Zhiming dies from novel coronavirus on Tuesday. Photo: CNN
Wuhan Hospital Director Liu Zhiming dies from novel coronavirus on Tuesday. Photo: CNN

The number of confirmed cases in China increased by 1,886, bringing the global total to over 73,325.

The vast majority of those cases have been in China, but concern has been growing in the past week over much smaller but growing outbreaks in Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.

According to China's National Health Commission, since the outbreak began in December, more than 12,500 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

Outside of Hubei, the province of which Wuhan is capital, the number of new cases has dropped for 14 consecutive days. Despite this apparent good news, stringent and often draconian measures are being ramped up in much of the country. This comes as authorities make an effort to return to something like normality in many major cities and commercial hubs, with the long break forced by the outbreak taking its toll on the country's economy.

On Monday, a committee headed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that a "greater outbreak of the epidemic has been avoided through strengthened prevention and control measures," adding that "a positive trend has emerged nationwide in curbing the epidemic." 

China on lockdown

Despite the optimism expressed by Chinese officials and in state media, there are indications the authorities are not totally convinced of their success in reining in the virus.

According to analysis by CNN of Chinese government orders, some 780 million people are still living under some form of restrictive movement, including all of Hubei, the northeastern province of Liaoning, and China's two most important cities, Beijing and Shanghai. Restrictions include everything from self-quarantines to limits on who can come and go from neighborhoods.

Some of the strictest measures can be found in four cities in Hubei province. The cities of Wuhan, Huanggang, Shiyan and Xiaogan have completely sealed off all residential complexes and communities. The use of non-essential vehicles on local roadways is also banned. Residents in each city receive daily necessities from neighborhood and community committees as they are not permitted to leave their homes.

In an almost unprecedented move, the central government announced late Monday that it was considering postponing its annual meeting of the National People's Congress (NPC), a gathering of the the country's nearly 3,000 national legislators, as it continues to deal with the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.

The full session of the NPC, the country's rubber-stamp parliament, was due to open on March 5. Instead, the NPC Standing Committee, a smaller group of fewer than 200 people, will meet in the capital on February 24 to review a proposal to postpone the plenary session, according to Chinese state media.

While figures appear to be trending in a positive direction in China and some other countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that new data must be analyzed with some degree of caution.

"This trend must be interpreted very cautiously. Trends can change as new populations are affected. It's too early to tell if this reported decline will continue. Every scenario is still on the table," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO, said during a press conference Monday.

Tedros added that the virus is not as deadly as SARS or MERS, both of which are related to the current coronavirus, and more than 80% of patients "have mild disease and will recover."

"In about 14% of cases, the virus causes severe diseases including pneumonia and shortness of breath. And about 5% of patients have critical diseases including respiratory failure, septic shock and multiorgan failure," he said. "In 2% of reported cases, the virus is fatal, and the risk of death increases the older you are. We see relatively few cases among children. More research is needed to understand why."

Cruise ship passengers evacuated

Outside of mainland China, the worst single outbreak has been on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, under tight quarantine in the Japanese port of Yokohama, south of Tokyo. More than 350 of the 3,600 people on board have tested positive for the virus so far. On Monday, 99 new cases were reported.

Late Sunday, 328 American passengers were evacuated late Sunday on two US government-chartered planes to California and Texas. Spaces on the flights had been restricted to people who had not tested positive for the virus, or were not showing symptoms. However, as the planes were preparing to leave, 14 Americans tested positive during final screenings.

A bus arrives at the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan, February 16, 2020. Photo :Reuters
A bus arrives at the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan, February 16, 2020. Photo :Reuters

Those passengers were boarded nevertheless and held in special compartments on the plane, where they underwent tight observation and further testing.

Speaking to reporters, William Walters, an official with the bureau of medical services at the US State Department, said that three additional people were found to have a fever on the flight to California, and moved to isolation. Two passengers on the flight to Texas were also found to have a fever and isolated.

Since landing in the US, 13 people from the Diamond Princess have been moved to Omaha to be treated at the University of Nebraska, Walters said.

Those passengers who did not test positive or show symptoms will undergo a 14-day quarantine at military bases in California and Texas, doubling the amount of time they will have had their travel restricted, after almost two weeks trapped on board the Diamond Princess.

That decision had angered some passengers when it was first announced Saturday by US authorities.

"It's like a prison sentence for something I did not do," Karey Mansicalco, who owns a real estate company in Utah, told CNN before she left. "They are holding us hostage for absolutely no reason."

For the minority of Americans who remained on the ship, choosing to wait out the 14-day period in Japan where they will be free to move around, rather than head to the US, the fact that new cases were confirmed on board the plane was a vindication.
"The decision not to be evacuated was the best decision ever," Sacramento resident Matthew Smith said. He had previously criticized the plan, saying the US wanted to "take us off without testing, fly us back to the US with a bunch of other untested people, and then stick us in 2 more weeks of quarantine? How does that make any sense at all?"

Economic woes

With cases of the virus confirmed in more than two dozen countries around the world, and travel to and from China restricted and much of the country on lockdown, the toll is beginning to be felt by the global economy.

Companies in some parts of China have been attempting to get back to work, with temperature checks for staff and work-from-home policies the most common solution for avoiding further spread of the virus.

Apple warned investors on Monday that the outbreak is hurting its business more than previously expected by limiting how many devices it can make and sell in China. The closing of Chinese plants has also disrupted supply chains globally, threatening to cause a recession in Germany and smartphone shortages worldwide.

Economists say the current level of disruption is manageable. If the number of new coronavirus cases begins to slow, and China's factories reopen soon, the result will be a fleeting hit to the Chinese economy in the first quarter and a dent in global growth.

If the virus continues to spread, however, the economic damage will increase rapidly.

"This is continuing to grow in scope and magnitude," William Reinsch, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said last week. "It could end being really, really big, and really, really serious."

Top News

Coronavirus / Coronavirus in China / Liu Zhiming

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • VAT on locally-made mobile phones, fridges on cards
    VAT on locally-made mobile phones, fridges on cards
  • Wheat stock at 3-year low and that may not be good for rice
    Wheat stock at 3-year low and that may not be good for rice
  • Ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan gestures as he travels on a vehicle to lead a protest march in Islamabad, Pakistan May 26, 2022. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro
    Azadi March: Imran gives 6-day ultimatum to announce polls

MOST VIEWED

  • A US dollar note is seen in front of a stock graph in this November 7, 2016 picture illustration. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
    Dollar hovers near one-month low as Fed minutes lack surprise
  • Representational Image. Gold bars and coins are stacked in the safe deposit boxes room of the Pro Aurum gold house in Munich, Germany, August 14, 2019. REUTERS/Michael Dalder/File Photo
    Gold dips on rising yields after Fed minutes signal patience
  • Pent-up demand for the PS5, which offers cutting-edge graphics, faster load times and a new controller with immersive feedback, has been exacerbated by the pandemic Photo: Reuters
    Sony to ramp up PS5 production and broaden games portfolio
  • Oil and gas tanks are seen at an oil warehouse at a port in Zhuhai, China October 22, 2018. REUTERS/Aly Song/Files
    Oil firms on tight supply though EU ban on Russian oil still uncertain
  • A man wearing a protective mask, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, walks past an electronic board displaying graphs (top) of Nikkei index outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan, March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
    Asian shares stumble on growth worries as central banks tighten
  • US President Joe Biden signs an executive order to prohibit trade and investment between US individuals and the two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine recognized as independent by Russia, at the White House in Washington, US, February 21, 2022. Photo :Reuters
    Biden signs police order on second anniversary of George Floyd's death

Related News

  • Tightening Covid net, Beijing deals out punishments, stark warnings
  • Beijing ramps up Covid quarantine, Shanghai residents decry uneven rules
  • Indonesia to drop outdoor mask mandate as Covid-19 infections drop
  • Shanghai achieves 'zero Covid' status but normal life is weeks away
  • WHO: Covid-19 falling everywhere, except Americas and Africa

Features

Impact Hub Dhaka is designed to cater to connectivity, offering lots of communal areas where you can chat over coffee, watch a webinar as a group or even host events. Photo: Courtesy

Inside Impact Hub: The surprising benefits of working in a co-working space

1h | Pursuit
Pacific Jeans uses sustainable technology in washing and finishing, and now has the facility to wash with zero water. Photo: Courtesy

How big dreams and smart investment made Pacific Jeans a denim exporting giant 

2h | Panorama
Psycure has received various awards for their extraordinary contributions to promoting Sustainable Development Goals. Photo: Courtesy

Psycure: Meet the organisation serving the underserved university students (and beyond) with mental healthcare 

23h | Panorama
Underlying problems such as school dropouts need to be addressed first before taking a legal route to stop child labour. Photo: Reuters

‘Child labour in a country like Bangladesh is primarily a development issue, not so much of enforcement’

1d | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Why is Thanda Garam's juice so popular?

Why is Thanda Garam's juice so popular?

8m | Videos
Tea tales at TSC

Tea tales at TSC

1h | Videos
What journalism students want to know

What journalism students want to know

1h | Videos
Where the people have more weapons than military

Where the people have more weapons than military

12h | Videos

Most Read

1
Tk100 for bike, Tk2,400 for bus to cross Padma Bridge
Bangladesh

Tk100 for bike, Tk2,400 for bus to cross Padma Bridge

2
Bangladesh at risk of losing ownership of Banglar Samriddhi
Bangladesh

Bangladesh at risk of losing ownership of Banglar Samriddhi

3
BSEC launches probe against Abul Khayer Hero and allies
Stocks

BSEC launches probe against Abul Khayer Hero and allies

4
Photo: Courtesy
Panorama

Misfit Technologies: A Singaporean startup rooted firmly in Bangladesh

5
Illustration: TBS
Banking

Let taka slide

6
Photo: Collected
Industry

Spanish recycled cotton producer opens new facility in Bangladesh

The Business Standard
Top
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • About Us
  • Bangladesh
  • International
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Economy
  • Sitemap
  • RSS

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net

Copyright © 2022 THE BUSINESS STANDARD All rights reserved. Technical Partner: RSI Lab