BEIJING — A total of 1,540 patients infected with the novel coronavirus had been discharged from hospital after recovery by the end of Feb 6, Chinese health authorities announced on Feb 7.

Feb 6 saw 387 people walk out of the hospital after recovery (184 in Hubei), the National Health Commission said in its daily report.

By the end of Feb 6, a total of 636 people had died of the disease and 31,161 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in China.