Premier Li Keqiang paid a visit to the Institute of Pathogen Biology of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences on Feb 9, to inspect the novel coronavirus research, and conveyed his greetings to medics at the institute.

He visited two laboratories to learn about the latest progress in medicine development and research on the transmission of the virus. Premier Li said that more work should be done to find out the transmission mechanism behind the infection for better treatment and control.

According to the researchers, 30 drugs had been selected, and several proved to be effective after cell experiments.

Premier Li said it is a race against time, and drug research should focus on both safety and effectiveness.

An early discovery of effective drugs will improve recovery and lower the death rate to stabilize the whole society, he stressed.