Severe or even critical patients infected with the novel coronavirus will likely make a full recovery with careful medical treatment, a health official said on Thursday.

Guo Yanhong, a National Health Commission official, said at a news conference that from Feb 7, more than 500 patients were discharged from hospital on a daily basis, which sent a positive signal that the treatment and control of the virus had been effective.

Based on preliminary analysis of 597 patients released from hospital, about 10 percent had been in a severe or critical condition, with the rest having mild symptoms, she said, adding that the average hospital stay was about 10 days.

The research showed about 92 percent of the pneumonia patients received antiviral and symptomatic treatment, along with respiratory and circulatory support, which proved very effective in curing the disease, Guo said.

New methods, including traditional Chinese medicine, also played a part in the treatment.
The commission will use the experiences of the successful cases to improve diagnosis and treatment in a bid to increase the recovery rate, she added.