Coronavirus: China

(asked on 2nd March 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) report by the World Health Organization Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report, published on 1 March, in particular the mortality rate from COVID-19 in Hubei province, and (2) the remarks by Brendan Wren, Professor of Vaccinology at the London School of Tropical Medicine that the difference in the mortality rate in Hubei province compared to other areas is a due to a higher viral load, or because the original source of COVID-19 in Wuhan may still be actively transmitting.


Answered by
Lord Bethell Portrait
Lord Bethell
This question was answered on 16th March 2020

The Government is being advised by the Scientific Advisory Group For Emergencies, known as SAGE. SAGE and its sub groups have, and will continue to, monitor all relevant epidemiological literature, including the World Health Organization’s Situation Reports. Estimates of mortality rates in different regions vary, so it is right that we are considering this information in the round.

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