UPDATE - 26 COVID-19 patients recover in Turkey

UPDATES WITH MORE DEATILS

By Havva Kara Aydin

ANKARA (AA) - At least 26 COVID-19 patients, including two above 60 years old, have recovered and been discharged from hospitals in Turkey, the country's health minister said on Wednesday.

"Turkey has 1,872 COVID-19 cases and 136 patients under intensive care," Fahrettin Koca said after a meeting of the country's science council, adding that 102 of them were intubated and 26 have recovered.

"Both elder patients were successfully treated in intensive care units. One of the patients was 60 years old and the other 65," he added.

Koca said the virus also infected many middle-aged people around the world as well. "The number of middle-aged patients is not small. The virus does not distinguish between the young, old and the middle-aged," said Koca, urging all citizens to stay at home.

Treatment with medicine sent by China has begun for 136 patients under intensive care, said Koca.

He also stressed that Turkey was in a better position due to its timely response since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak and has enough capacity to produce masks for both patients and health personnel in the country.

- COVID-19 on digital platform

In order to inform the public with data on the outbreak, Koca announced that Turkey would create a digital platform.

He added that the application would be made available for the public to easily obtain reliable information about the coronavirus pandemic.

The total number of patients, tests, deaths, intensive care patients and recovered will be updated daily and shared with the public regularly, he added.

According to the latest figures from the Health Ministry, the number of deaths in Turkey so far is 44.

Since emerging in Wuhan, China, last December, the virus has spread to at least 172 countries and regions, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The data shows there have been over 458,900 cases reported worldwide since last December, with more than 20,800 deaths and 113,600 recoveries.