A 44-year-old man in the Philippines has become the first person to die of the new coronavirus outside of China, where the outbreak originated. The World Health Organization said Saturday that the patient was from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the crisis, and was a close contact of another Wuhan resident who was infected. The man who died reported a fever, cough, and sore throat before being admitted to the hospital. Health officials are now trying to trace all of his contacts.
WHO Representative in the Philippines Dr Rabi Abeyasinghe said: This is the first reported case outside of China. However, we need to keep in mind that he came from Wuhan, China. pic.twitter.com/0VH6PvLE42
— World Health Organization Philippines (@WHOPhilippines) February 2, 2020