Death toll rises to 723 in China coronavirus; US woman, Japanese man first foreigners to die

American woman and a Japanese man became first foreigners to have died from new coronavirus in China as death toll jumped to 723 in country with confirmed cases soaring to 34,598, health officials said on Saturday. American citizen died in Wuhan, US embassy here said on Saturday, first confirmed foreign death from outbreak.

"We can confirm that a 60-year-old US citizen diagsed with coronavirus died at Jinyintang hospital in Wuhan, China on February 6," a US embassy spokesman said. "We offer sincerest condolences to family for ir loss," Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted spokesman as saying.

New York Times reported that person was a woman and h underlying health conditions, citing two people familiar with matter. Chinese Foreign Ministry said earlier that 19 foreign nationals in China have been confirmed to have contracted virus and undergoing treatment in hospitals.

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Two of m were discharged after recovery, ministry said without disclosing details. Earlier reports said that four Pakistanis and two Australians contracted virus. Though US woman is officially stated to be first foreigner to have died due to coronavirus, a Japanese man hospitalised in Wuhan with pneumonia has also died, Japan's foreign ministry anunced in Tokyo.

Ministry citing Chinese medical authorities said on Saturday man in his 60s, was possibly infected with coronavirus but due to difficulties in diagsing disease his death h been attributed to viral pneumonia. His cause of death was given as viral pneumonia, it ded. man is potentially first Japanese to have died from coronavirus, it said. Eighty-six deaths were reported in mainland China with 3,399 fresh cases from 31 provincial-level regions, country's National Health Commission said on Saturday.

State-run CGTN television network reported that death toll has climbed to 723 while confirmed cases jumped to 34,598. Among deaths, 81 are in Hubei province and its provincial capital Wuhan, epicentre of virus, two in Heilongjiang, as well as one in Beijing, Henan and Gansu, commission said. By end of Friday, 26 confirmed cases, including one death, have been reported in Hong Kong. Macau reported 10 cases, while Taiwan reported 16 cases, it said.

A total of 4,214 new suspected cases were reported and 1,280 patients became seriously ill, and 510 people were discharged from hospital after recovery, according to commission. It ded that 6,101 patients remained in severe condition, and 27,657 people were suspected of being infected with virus. As many as 2,050 people have been discharged from hospital after recovery.

Meanwhile, a central government inspection group has arrived in Wuhan to thoroughly investigate issues related to Dr Li Wenliang, whistleblower who was monished by police last month when he flagged coronavirus in his special media. Li, 34, died on Thursday, plunging whole of China into grief and anger over police highhandedness in stifling vital information which resulted in coronavirus becoming a massive epidemic in China and world.

inspection team would probe issues related to Li, an ophthalmologist with Central Hospital of Wuhan, who passed away early Friday after being infected with vel coronavirus, official media reported. Also health authorities in Tibet said on Saturday that medical observation h been lifted for 32 close contacts of region's only confirmed case of vel coronavirus, with symptoms reported. health commission of Tibet said 32 people were discharged from ir two-week isolated medical observation in cities of Lhasa, Shigatse, Shannan and Naqu. ne of m reported fever or or symptoms.

Tibet reported its first confirmed case of new coronavirus on January 30. patient is w in a stable condition, state-run Xinhua news reported. Pangolins may be an intermediate host of virus, as indicated by a study led by South China Agricultural University. Researchers found metme sequence of vel coronavirus strain separated from pangolins to be 99 per cent identical to that from infected people.

commission said 3.45 lakh 'close contacts' have been traced, ding that among m, 26,702 were discharged from medical observation on Friday. Over 1.89 lakh ors are still under medical observation. death toll of coronavirus cases overseas went up 220 with Japan reporting 86 followed by 33 in Singapore. Chinese health officials have sent more than 11,000 medics, including country's best ICU staff, to city of Wuhan. Among m, over 3,000 doctors and nurses are intensive care specialists, Guo Yanhong, an official with National Health Commission, told media here.

"We are fully aware of urgent need for ICU professionals in Wuhan. current medics have been working for quite a long time and are exhausted both physically and mentally," Guo said. World Health Organisation chief Tedros ham Ghebreyesus on Friday said world was running out of masks and or protective equipment against vel coronavirus. 

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