Coronavirus: patient dies in France, first death outside Asia

Agnès Buzyn: “We are monitoring the international situation very closely. (...) We must prepare our health system to cope with a possible pandemic spread. ”AFP / Bertrand Guay

Text by: RFI Follow

An 80-year-old Chinese tourist, infected with the new coronavirus, hospitalized in France since the end of January, died on Friday evening February 14, announced the French Minister of Health, Agnès Buzyn.

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" This is the first death from the coronavirus outside Asia, and therefore the first death in Europe, " said Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn to the press on Saturday morning. Only three deaths have so far been recorded outside mainland China : the Philippines, Hong Kong and Japan. The condition of this patient, who arrived in France on January 23 and hospitalized a few days later in intensive care at the Bichat hospital in Paris with a serious pulmonary infection, " had rapidly deteriorated and he had been in critical condition for several days . "

Eleven confirmed cases

Her 50-year-old daughter, also affected by the disease and hospitalized in the same establishment, does not, however, inspire any concern and " should be able to go out soon, " said the minister. France has so far identified 11 confirmed cases linked to the Covid epidemic19. Four of them are " cured " and " are released " from the hospital: on Wednesday, a couple of thirty-something Chinese men also taken care of at Bichat hospital, on Thursday, a 48-year-old Bordeaux resident from China, and on Friday, a doctor who was hospitalized at Pitié-Salpêtrière in Paris.

" Negative tests "

These people " have stopped being positive for the virus, they have had two negative tests " and are " back home ," said Agnès Buzyn, explaining that there was no longer any need to subject them to surveillance. special. Six patients remain hospitalized, and their state of health " does not inspire concern ". In addition to the daughter of the deceased patient, there are five Britons - four adults and a 9-year-old child, contaminated by a compatriot during a stay in Haute-Savoie. They are hospitalized in the Lyon region.

( with AFP )

► Coronavirus: end of quarantine for the first French returnees from China

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  • France
  • coronavirus
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