A 70-year-old man diagnosed with the COVID-19 coronavirus died this morning, becoming the second person in Hong Kong and one of only a handful of people outside of mainland China to succumb to the new virus.
RTHK reports that the man died at Princess Margaret Hospital this morning after his condition deteriorated, and that the Hospital Authority will announce further details at its daily afternoon press conference at 4:30pm today.
The outlet reports that the deceased was the city’s 55th coronavirus patient, and that the diagnosis was confirmed on Friday. According to information released by the Centre for Health Protection, he had an underlying illness and lived alone in Shek Yi House, at the Shek Lei (II) Estate in Kwai Chung.
His symptoms, including malaise, shortness of breath, and a cough with sputum, had been developing since Feb. 2, and he went to Princess Margaret Hospital after falling at home on Feb. 12.
Officials say the man had gone to the mainland for a day trip on Jan. 22 via the Lok Ma Chau border control point.
Two weeks ago, a 39-year-old man from Whampoa became the first person in the SAR to die from the coronavirus.
Health officials said at the time that he had been in a stable condition, but in the two days prior to his death, doctors noticed a shortness of breath, and his condition suddenly deteriorated, sending him into cardiac arrest. Officials noted that the man — who was the 13th confirmed case — also had an underlying illness, diabetes, but it wasn’t immediately clear if his diabetes was related to his death.
