Daily US Times, Manila: A man has died of the Coronavirus in the Philippines and it is the first death outside China.
Thew patient was a 44-year-old Chinese man from Wuhan in Hubei, the epicenter of the outbreak.
It is believed that he has been infected before arriving in the Philippines, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
The death toll crossed 300 so far, most of the cases are from Hubei province. Chinese authorities confirmed more than 14,000 people have been identified as infected by the Coronavirus.
Coronavirus cases have been reported from more than 22 countries including the US, UK, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Australia. Many countries have barred the arrival of foreigners from China and are requiring their own citizens to be quarantined.
The number of Coronavirus cases worldwide overtaken the SARS epidemic which spread more than two dozens countries in 2003.
But the death rate of the new virus is much lower. Compared to SARS, it is not as deadly.
What we know about the death?
The man, along with a 38-year-old Chinese woman traveled to the Philippines from Wuhan, via Hong Kong. Philippines Department of Health said the woman also tested positive last week. The death is reported the first death outside China since the outbreak spreads.
Authorities said the man was admitted to a hospital in the capital, Manila, where he developed severe pneumonia.
The WHO representative to the Philippines, Rabindra Abeyasinghe urged people not to get panicked.
”urged people to remain calm: “This is the first reported death outside China. However, we need to take into mind that this is not a locally acquired case. This patient came from the epicenter of this outbreak.”
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