Here are some encouraging medical research developments achieved over the weekend related to the fight against the novel coronavirus.

BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) — China’s daily new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus pneumonia outside Hubei, the epicenter province in the outbreak, have dropped for 13 consecutive days, according to the National Health Commission.

At today’s press briefing organized by the State Council inter-agency task force, Mi Feng, an NHC spokesperson and a Deputy Director-General for Communications, said that as of 24:00, 15 February, the share of severe cases in confirmed cases had registered a clear drop in Wuhan and Hubei as well as in other parts of the country. In Wuhan, the severe case rate dropped from the peak of 32.4% on 28 January to 21.6% on 15 February despite some fluctuations. In other parts of Hubei, the severe case rate has gone down from the peak of 18.4% on 27 January to 11.1% on 15 February. Nationwide excepting Hubei, it has declined from 15.9% on 27 January to 7.2% on 15 February. These positive developments suggest that China’s epidemic control efforts are beginning to pay off.