Turkey Reports Fourth Coronavirus Death, 168 New Cases
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Turkey's death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak increased to four as 168 new cases were confirmed in 24 hours, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced late Thursday (March 19).
The total number of confirmed cases has increased to 359 with the latest update.
The deceased person was an 85-year-old woman, Koca said on Twitter.
The minister also noted that 1,981 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours. Earlier in the day, he stated that the total number of tests performed since the beginning of the outbreak was just over 10 thousand. He said they were about to introduce a "rapid diagnostic kit" and aim to perform 10 thousand tests per day.
Turkey confirmed its first Covid-19 case on March 11 and the first death on March 17. It has taken measures against the outbreak since then, including closing cafes and bars, cancelling mass events, and suspending flights with 20 countries.
The outbreak emerged in China's Wuhan city in December and has so far spread to more than 150 countries, infecting over 250 thousand people. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a pandemic.
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Map: Washington University |
About the novel coronavirusWhat 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. 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. 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. Can the virus that causes Covid-19 be transmitted through the air? Studies to date suggest that the virus that causes Covid-19 is mainly transmitted through contact with respiratory droplets rather than through the air. Source: World Health Organization |
(EKN/VK)