Coronavirus: infected Chinese tourist in France dies, in Europe’s first death
- The 80-year-old man’s death marks the first virus fatality outside Asia, France’s health minister said
- The man had arrived in France on January 16, then was hospitalised and quarantined at a northern French hospital, where his condition deteriorated rapidly
The man had arrived in France on January 16, then was hospitalised at the Bichat hospital in northern Paris on January 25 under strict isolation measures. His condition deteriorated rapidly.
Buzyn said she was informed on February 14 that the tourist died of a lung infection due to the coronavirus.
The man’s daughter was also hospitalised but she was expected to recover.
The death in France came a day after the first group of French nationals evacuated from Wuhan were discharged after two weeks of quarantine at a seaside resort.
The group of 181 people was not allowed physical contact with the outside world for the duration of the virus’ estimated incubation period, while they were at the resort in Carry-le-Rouet on France’s Mediterranean coast.
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With a clean bill of health for all 181, officials decided it was time to let them go.
Before their final goodbyes, each member of the group received a certificate stating they were not contagious, said Marc Zyltman, the senior Red Cross official at the site.
Another 44 people, who arrived at the resort later, have to stay behind for the remainder of their quarantine, as will 113 others at a different centre in nearby Aix-en-Provence.
Reporting by AFP, Reuters, AP
