Officials at the World Health Organization said Monday that of about 80,000 people who have been sickened by COVID-19 in China, more than 70 percent have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.

Patients are typically released when they test negative twice for the virus within 24 hours, meaning they’re no longer carrying the virus, although some countries may be using a slightly different definition, which may include when people have no more respiratory symptoms or a clear CT scan.

The World Health Organization said it could take considerably longer for people to be “recovered,” depending on the severity of the disease.

Dr. Mike Ryan, the World Health Organization's emergencies chief, said it can take up to six weeks for people to fully recover from COVID-19 infections, which could include pneumonia and other respiratory problems in serious cases. He said the numbers of reported patients have not always been systematically provided to World Health Organization although the U.N. health agency is asking every country with cases for further information.

Share:
More In Culture
In Case You Missed It: Swedish Singer Winds Eurovision Competition
Swedish singer Loreen won this year's Eurovision competition on Saturday night with her song "Tattoo." The singer beat acts from 25 other countries and became the second performer to take the prize twice after winning previously in 2012, but it was the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton who stole the show before the competition got started.
Load More