China has changed the way it confirms cases of the new coronavirus for the second time in a week, resulting in a lower number of reported new infections on Thursday. Three-hundred-forty-nine new cases were reported in China in the latest 24-hour span, the lowest number since January 23.
The National Health Commission said it was excluding from its tally patients from the epicenter of the outbreak, Hubei province, who were clinically diagnosed by using a CT scan and an assessment of symptoms. Authorities said nucleic acid tests, which can take days to process in a lab, were the preferred diagnostic method.
One-hundred-fourteen new coronavirus deaths were reported in China Thursday, bringing the total national death toll to 2,118, with 74,576 confirmed cases.
South Korea reported its first death from the virus Thursday.
More than 75,000 people have been infected globally.
