Published 06:51 IST, February 16th 2020
France reports first death in Europe from Coronavirus
A Chinese tourist in France who had tested positive for the novel Coronavirus has died recently. This marks the first fatality due to Coronavirus in Europe.
An 80-year-old Chinese tourist in France who had tested positive for the new Coronavirus has died recently. This marks the first fatality due to the Coronavirus in Europe and also the first fatality outside Asia. The tourist arrived in France on January 16 and had been under quarantine since January 25.
Condition of patient 'deteriorated rapidly' after hospitalisation
The victim was an 80-year-old man from China's Hubei province, the epicentre of the new novel Coronavirus named COVID-19 by the United Nations. Reportedly, the patient's condition had “deteriorated rapidly” after being hospitalised on January 25. France currently has 11 confirmed cases of people who tested positive for the COVID-19. Before this, three deaths had been recorded outside mainland China — in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Japan.
According to the French Health Minister Agnès Buzyn, the man's 50-year-old daughter who was travelling with him has also been tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently being treated in a hospital. Speaking to media, French Health Minister Agnès Buzyn said that her health is no longer a cause of concern and should be able to leave the hospital soon.
COVID-19 has already affected more than 500 people outside mainland China, and has spread to at least 26 other countries. In China, COVID-19 has already claimed around 1,523 lives, with the death toll increases every day. China on Saturday reported that the total cases of infected had grown to 66,492.
Coronavirus Outbreak
The virus has claimed more lives than its predecessor Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that broke out in China in 2002-2003 and claimed more than 774 lives. According to reports, China on Thursday reported the highest number of deaths caused by the virus in a single day as 254 people died in Hubei province.
As per reports, the COVID-19 has claimed more than 1,500 lives in China alone and over 66,000 new cases have been confirmed in the country as of February 13.
US' Center for Disease Control (CDC) has said that the virus has already spread to 27 countries, including Japan, which reported its first fatality. Media reports had earlier suggested that the virus originated from a seafood market in China's Hubei province, where animals were being traded illegally. So far, the most number of deaths have been reported from Wuhan city, the believed epicentre of the disease.
Updated 06:51 IST, February 16th 2020