by Kyle Molyneux | Sat 25 Jan 2020
Excavator army operating in Wuhan, China
An army of construction machinery (photo: Xinhuanet) has gathered in the Chinese city of Wuhan, with the aim of building a new hospital inside six days for patients infected by the deadly Coronavirus. Reports suggest 35 diggers and 10 dozers met on site earlier in the week and immediately began preparing ground for the 1,000-bed facility.
One of the companies involved in the project is China State Construction Engineering, which confirmed it has more than 100 workers on site. Information published by the Changjiany Daily newspaper described how the new hospital, made up of prefabricated buildings, is based on the outskirts of Wuhan and nestled within an area originally intended for a holiday complex.
China has experience building hospitals in rapid time. Back in 2003, the Xiaotangshan Hospital was created in seven days to help treat patients infected with SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). The Coronavirus has so far claimed 41 lives in China, with more than 1,200 cases confirmed to date. Outside that country, cases of the Coronavirus have also been confirmed in France, the USA and Australia. Symptoms appear to begin with a fever and dry cough, followed by difficulty breathing.
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