Philippines sees 1st coronavirus death outside China

中國境外菲律賓出現首宗新型冠狀病毒死亡案

44-year-old Wuhan man was 2nd confirmed case of novel coronavirus in Philippines

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Wuhan coronavirus (2019 nCoV) claimed the life of a Chinese man in the Philippines on Saturday (Feb. 1), marking the first death to have been caused by the rapidly spreading virus outside of China, according to the World Health Organization.

The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) said the 44-year-old man and 38-year-old woman, both from the now locked-down Hubei Province city of Wuhan, arrived in the country together via Hong Kong on Jan. 21.

The woman was admitted to Manila's San Larazo Hospital on Jan. 25 after experiencing a mild cough, but health authorities said she remained asymptomatic. Her male companion was also quarantined at the facility. However, he soon developed "severe pneumonia due to viral and bacterial infections," said the DOH.

Although the male patient had stabilized and his condition had reportedly been improving, he suddenly took a turn for the worse on Friday (Jan. 31) and died the following day.

The death toll rose to at least 305 on Sunday (Feb. 2), with a total of 14,380 cases, also mostly in China, having been confirmed worldwide.