Istanbul hospital on virus frontline as cases decline

Turkey has seen a decline this week in the number of daily deaths and rates of infection since it started to grapple with the novel coronavirus pandemic last month.

On Tuesday The Associated Press gained access to one of Istanbul's most renowned hospitals which is also reporting a decrease in the number of COVID-19 patients being treated there.

Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, was described by the health minister as the epicentre of infections in the country.

Istanbul University Cerrahpasa president, Prof. Dr Nuri Aydin, says there are about 120 patients currently being treated at his facility for coronavirus infection, a drop from last week's 230.

The government has refrained from imposing a total lockdown, fearing its negative impact on the already fragile economy.

It has opted for piecemeal measures instead, including weekend curfews and banning people above the age of 65 and below the age of 20 from leaving their homes.

On Tuesday, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced 92 deaths in the past 24 hours, the lowest since April 11.

The total death toll now stands at 2,992, with 114,653 confirmed infections.

Aydin credits Turkey's course of treatment and implementation of isolation measures for the country's ability to avoid a wider crisis.

The hospital has seven floors dedicated to treating people who have tested positive for COVID-19.

On the fourth floor, Dondu Korkmaz is recuperating.

She is a nurse who just a month ago was treating patients in this very ward when she herself got infected.

Korkmaz is among the 70 medical staff who have been diagnosed with the disease so far, according to the facility's president.

About 25 of them have returned to work.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

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

The vast majority of people recover.