Coronavirus death toll, new cases in the US: 5 latest developments
3. First death in Beijing as death toll rises to over 250; new cases detected in U.S., Italy
A 50-year-old man in Beijing died this week, the first death from the coronavirus in China's capital.
The deceased, identified as Yang Jun, went to Wuhan for a conference on Jan. 8 and developed a fever after returning to Beijing a week later, according to The Epoch Times. He did not see a doctor until Jan. 21, at which time he was diagnosed as having contracted Wuhan pneumonia. Yang died a week later.
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Yang, a senior executive at Shanghai Electric Group and executive president of China Commercial Value Association, might have infected several others as he met a large number of people before being diagnosed, including a parent meeting at his daughter’s school where at least 600 other parents were in the same auditorium.
At least two high-ranking government officials in Hubei Province have died from the coronavirus, and many officials are getting special intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) injections at medical facilities to protect them from the infection. However, hospitals are turning away locals who have symptoms, according to The Epoch Times.
China’s National Health Commission has reported 46 new coronavirus deaths, bringing the country’s death toll to 259 and 11,791 confirmed cases, CNBC reported.
In the U.S., the first case of the coronavirus in California’s Bay Area was confirmed in Santa Clara County, according to ABC 7, which quoted the CDC as saying that an adult male resident tested positive. He has come into contact with very few individuals after returning from Wuhan as he had been self-isolating.
Six people have tested positive for the infection in the U.S. thus far.
Meanwhile, Italy has declared a state of emergency, suspending all flights to and from China as two Chinese tourists in Rome have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to The Local, which quoted Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte as saying that Italy was the first EU country to suspend flights.
