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The Health Ministry yesterday (April 19) confirmed 127 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus outbreak in a day, bringing the death toll to 2,017.
The total number of registered coronavirus cases in the country surged to 86,306 as 3,977 more people tested positive for the virus over the past day, according to the ministry's figures. So far, a total of 11,976 patients have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the virus, with 1,523 discharged on Sunday alone.
Turkey is currently treating a total of 1,922 patients in its intensive care units.
"The care with which we place our measures [to prevent the spread of the coronavirus] is bearing fruit," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said in a tweet. "Trust in our healthcare army and the power of our healthcare system. Do not let your precautions down," he added.
"Trust in our healthcare army and the power of our healthcare system. Do not let your precautions down," said Koca.
He also said 35,344 tests were conducted over the past day, with the total reaching 634,277.
"As we increase our daily testing potential, your responsible behavior will also reduce the number of new cases," Koca added.
After originating in China last December, Covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world. Europe and the US are currently the worst-hit regions.
The pandemic has killed over 163,100 people, with total infections exceeding 2.36 million, while more than 609,500 have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.
CLICK - All Updates on Turkey's Coronavirus Tally
What is a coronavirus? Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease Covid-19. The virus was named SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. What is Covid-19? Covid-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. What are the symptoms? Covid-19 symptoms include cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, sore throat, unexplained loss of taste or smell. How does Covid-19 spread? People can catch Covid-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with Covid-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch Covid-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Studies to date suggest that the virus is mainly transmitted through contact with respiratory droplets rather than through the air. How did the outbreak begin? Although health officials are still tracing the exact source of this new coronavirus, early hypotheses thought it may be linked to a seafood market in Wuhan. Some people who visited the market developed viral pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus. A study that came out on January 25, 2020, notes that the individual with the first reported case became ill on December 1, 2019, and had no link to the seafood market. Investigations are ongoing as to how this virus originated and spread. Sources: World Health Organization, Johns Hopkins University |
(VK)