France records first coronavirus death outside Asia

An 80-year old man has died from the coronavirus disease in Paris, France.

His demise makes it the first recorded death from the disease outside Asia. China recorded the first case of the disease in December.

Only three deaths had previously been reported outside mainland China–in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Japan.

France has 11 confirmed cases of the disease, officially named Covid-19.

Agnes Buzyn, French health minister, said the man was a tourist from Hubei province, in China, the epicentre of the virus.

Buzyn said the deceased, who she did not disclose his name, arrived the country on January 16 and has been hospitalised at Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital since January 25.

According to her, his condition “deteriorated rapidly” and he died of a “pulmonary infection with Coronavirus” on Saturday morning.

“This is the first death from the Coronavirus outside Asia, the first death in Europe,” Buzyn said.

She added that however, the man’s daughter who also tested positive to the disease and was being treated, had recovered and would soon be discharged.

Labour MPs Alex Sobel and Lilian Greenwood have self-exiled and are being tested for the virus after they were exposed to an infected person at the UK Bus Summit in Westminster on February 6.

On Friday, the first case of coronavirus in Africa was recorded in Egypt.