BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's latest diagnosis and treatment scheme of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has deleted the category of clinically diagnosed cases.

Clinically diagnosed cases, added to the 5th version of the scheme earlier this month only for the hardest-hit Hubei Province, refer to suspected cases with pneumonia-related computerized tomography (CT) scan results.

Speaking at a Thursday press conference in Beijing, Wang Guiqiang, director of the infectious disease department of the Peking University First Hospital, explained the changes in the 6th scheme.

Wang said the category was created to offer patients waiting for the nucleic acid testing timely treatment to reduce the mortality rate.

The situation in the province, however, had changed and the capacity of nucleic acid testing had been greatly improved, said Wang, adding that the latest diagnosis standard is now the same nationwide: suspected cases and confirmed cases.

At the end of Wednesday, Hubei had 49,665 confirmed cases and 3,456 suspected cases.