Distressing footage of 'coronavirus patient writhing on hospital trolley in infection-hit Wuhan' is shared online - as Chinese authorities continue to delete 'fake' videos of deadly outbreak
- The widely-shared video shows the patient writhing furiously under the covers
- Face-masked onlookers who do not appear to be Chinese doctors watch aghast
- 80 people have been killed and more than 2,000 worldwide have been infected
Harrowing footage of a patient uncontrollably shaking on a Wuhan bed has been claimed to show a victim of the coronavirus.
The widely-shared video shows the patient writhing furiously under the covers while face-masked onlookers watch aghast.
But it is unclear who the bystanders are - they do not appear to be doctors, who are typically treating victims in full-body hazmat suits.
The brief clip purporting to be captured from the epicentre of the outbreak in eastern China's Hubei province was circulated on social media as the virus's death toll climbed to 80.
More than 2,000 people worldwide have been infected by the disease which spawned in Wuhan - a city which has now been placed on lock down.
Harrowing footage of a patient uncontrollably shaking on a Wuhan bed has been claimed to show a victim of the coronavirus
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Caught flat-footed by the crisis, Beijing has been scrambling to build more hospital beds and import protective suits after admitting a woeful shortage of both.
In the video, the twitching patient lies on a rickety stretcher in a crowded room.
Coronavirus victims are being isolated in quarantine, suggesting the patient may not yet be in a hospital.
Journalist Dmitry Zolotarev tweeted the clip with the caption: 'Patient with heavy seizures caused by CORONAVIRUS. #Wuhan.'
It comes as China is accused of scrubbing the internet of raw footage showcasing the horror crisis.
A nurse battling the outbreak claimed the government is playing down the volume of the infections and said the true figure is 90,000.
Medical staff wearing clothing to protect against the coronavirus walk outside a hospital in Wuhan, which was where the infection broke out
Members of the media have their temperature checked before attending a news conference by the State Council Information Office about the outbreak of the new coronavirus in Beijing
But regime authorities batted back accusations of a cover-up and insisted it had 'followed the principles of openness and transparency' since the coronavirus broke out in Wuhan, Hubei province, last week.
And in a move to further project transparency, they announced daily press briefings on the threat posed by the virus starting tomorrow.
Beijing's health minister today assured reporters that authorities have cranked up efforts to stop the spread of disease after conceding their knowledge of how it mutates is limited.
Ma Xiaowei added that the administration will continue to curb transport links and scrap planned public gatherings.
Ma said he has 'maintained close communication with the World Health Organisation' and invited inspectors to examine the country's response.
He also revealed Beijing is sharing information with other nations after the United States, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Australia, France and Canada all confirmed cases.
Director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Gao Fu speaks during a State Council Information Office press conference
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