UK companies race to produce ventilators amid outbreak

Following a government plea to manufacturing firms to convert to producing ventilators to help those suffering from the new coronavirus, some companies in the UK say they are just days away from a working prototype. Speaking to UK broadcaster Sky News, owner of manufacturing firm GTech Nick Grey said on Saturday that once they are up and running they can produce around a thousand ventilators a day.

UK health secretary Matt Hancock made the plea to firms after worries that the National Health Service (NHS) would not have enough to cope with the amount of patients expected to need them as infections of the new virus increase.

The UK's confirmed cases have reached 5,000, with 233 deaths.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.

Worldwide, the new virus has infected more than 307,100 people and killed more than 13,000.

More than 92,300 people have recovered so far, mostly in China.

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