COVID-19: Chinese medical team arrives in Venezuela to help battle pandemic

China has sent a team of doctors to Venezuela to help the nation fight the coronavirus outbreak. According to reports, a team consisting of eight doctors arrived in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela on March 30 from China's Jiangsu province. Media reports suggest that the team that went to the South American country had helped contain the virus in Jiangsu, where all 631 infection cases were treated successfully. 

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According to reports, Dr. Huang Mao is the team leader as he oversaw the handling of the global pandemic in Jiangsu and was head of the province's coronavirus pneumonia treatment expert group. The team also carried medical equipment along to Venezuela, including respirators, testing kits and protective gear, required for the treatment of patients. The team will advise the local government on tackling the crisis and will also share experiences from back home. 

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According to data by worldometer, Venezuela has so far recorded 135 confirmed coronavirus cases, of which three patients have lost their lives. Venezuela is currently going through an economic crisis and the pandemic is expected to push the oil-rich country furthermore into the pit. Venezuela is also succumbing to international sanctions put on by countries like the United States and Canada. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

COVID-19 has claimed more than 38,700 lives across the world and has infected more than 8,01,000 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China was the most affected country until last week before Italy and Spain surpassed it to record the most number of deaths anywhere in the world due to COVID-19. The United States and France are on the verge of overtaking China in terms of the number of deaths recorded in these countries. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally.

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