Novel Coronavirus Kills US Citizen & Japanese Man In Wuhan
Given the situation of the coronavirus in outbreak, we wish we could be the bearer of good news. But alas, more deaths are uncovered as time progresses.
This time, the cases involve foreign lives who were in the epicentre of the virus.
Image sourced via AFP
On Saturday (8 Feb), both embassies from the United States (US) and Japan have confirmed the outbreak’s first foreign deaths.
A 60-year-old US citizen and a Japanese man, also in his 60s, are the latest victims who succumbed to the illness, reports Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
Coronavirus kills Japanese man & US citizen, few details are known
According to The New York Times, there are few details about the American who passed away on Thursday (6 Feb).
US Embassy in Beijing recorded the person as a 60-year-old. Meanwhile, 2 people “familiar with the matter” knew that the deceased was a woman, who also had underlying health conditions.
A spokesperson for the embassy could only say this,
We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we have no further comment.
Japanese man was a suspected coronavirus patient
The Japan Times reports that the deceased Japanese citizen was “highly likely infected by the novel coronavirus.”
The man, who is in his 60s, had unfortunately passed away in Wuhan, China where he was hospitalised.
The Foreign Ministry of Japan believes that he is the first Japanese citizen to die from the virus that is widely believed to have originated from the Chinese city.
A CNA report stated that his cause of death was given as viral pneumonia.
Over 700 people have died in China as of 8 Feb
The demise of the 2 citizens are the first confirmed foreign deaths in China from the outbreak, according to CNA.
So far, 2 other people have died from the virus outside mainland China:
- A man from Wuhan in the Philippines
- A 39-year-old man in Hong Kong
As of 8 Feb, we learnt that there are 19 foreigners who have been infected in China. Authorities declined to reveal their nationalities.
China’s death toll hits 722, with over 34,000 infections.
Our condolences to the victims
MS News extends our deepest condolences to the victims who died from the coronavirus. Given the latest developments in the region, it must be extremely distressing for their family members to receive such news when they’re so far away.
We hope they can reclaim their bodies swiftly, and give the victims proper funeral rites.
Featured image courtesy of AFP.
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