Coronavirus death toll rises to 1,350 in China

China has reported 242 more deaths from coronavirus in Hubei province, pushing the national death toll to more than 1,350.

Before now, medical experts in the Asian country reported that the number of new cases recorded per day had stabilised, though the death toll continued to rise.

The BBC reports that more than 242 new deaths were reported in China on Wednesday in a renewed upsurge as the number of diagnosed cases rose by 14,840 people, with about 60,000 infected in total.

While China has been accused of suppressing the extent of the outbreak in the past, the new figures come after Hubei province started using a broader definition in diagnosing citizens.

“What has happened in China is that they have changed the definition of what the disease really is. Now, they take people who have lesser symptoms,” David Heymann, professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said.

“The deaths are quite worrisome. There is an increased number of deaths reported. But if you look overall at the total number of deaths and the total number of cases, the fatality ratio is about the same as it has been. But it is still high, as high as the death rate in influenza.”

There has been panic since the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan with medical experts in China and other affected countries racing to create a vaccine.

Having declared a global emergency on the outbreak, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the first vaccine for the deadly virus may be ready in 18 months.

Coronavirus has been confirmed in Singapore, UK, Spain, Vietnam, Germany, UAE, France, Japan, Thailand, Canada, Australia, Italy, Russia, the United States, among other countries.