As COVID-19 cases slow in China, the virus surges elsewhere. South Korea confirms hundreds of infections from a new cluster, while Italy imposes semi-confinement on nearly 50,000 residents in the north.
According to the South China Morning Post on February 22, 2020, COVID-19 has reached nearly 78,000 confirmed cases and 2,462 deaths. Over 20,000 patients have recovered. France Info reports the epidemic is stabilizing in China with fewer daily cases, but infections are rising globally.
Attention has turned to South Korea, previously less affected. In Daegu (population 2.5 million), a 61-year-old woman developed a fever on February 10 but declined testing twice. A member of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus—a sect with over 200,000 followers—she attended services, infecting dozens. South Korea now reports more than 430 cases (including 142 new ones on Saturday), making it the hardest-hit nation after China and Japan.
Japan reports no new onshore cases but the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama has over 600 infections among 3,500 passengers, with a national total of 751 cases and 3 deaths. Other countries see rises: Iran (28 cases, 5 deaths) and Italy (34 cases, 2 deaths), where 11 northern cities enforced semi-confinement—closing schools, bars, supermarkets, and public spaces for a week, urging residents to stay home.
On February 21, Chinese authorities announced vaccine development underway, with approval for testing expected by late April. Vice Minister Xu Nanping noted plasma therapy's effectiveness for severe cases. Meanwhile, France's Sanofi partners with the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), though experts predict over a year before an operational vaccine.
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