China confirms fourth death from mysterious coronavirus in Wuhan

Chinese authorities have announced a fourth death caused by the new coronavirus strain in Wuhan. Local authorities announced that the victim was an 89-year-old man. The new SARS-like virus has spread all across China and into at least three other countries in Asia with confirmed cases in Japan, South Korea and Thailand as reported by agencies.

The virus can now be transmitted via human contact 

The fourth victim fell ill on January 13 and was admitted to the hospital, the man reportedly had breathing difficulties on the fifth day and died the next day. The authorities also added that the patient also suffered from several age-related complications like hypertension, diabetes and coronary heart disease.

According to authorities, there are currently 169 people who are being treated hospital in Wuhan. In a separate statement that was posted on the official Weibo account of the Wuhan  Municipal Health Commission, 15 medical workers have also been diagnosed with pneumonia. Of the infected staff, one is said to be in critical condition.

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The news of the fourth death comes amidst the Chines government reporting that the infection is contagious between humans. Authorities and scientists believe the seafood market at Wuhan to be the epicentre of the outbreak. During an interview with local Chinese media, Zhong Nanshan, a renowned scientist at the National Health Commission, said that the coronavirus could be contracted without having visited Wuhan city.

The authorities confirmed that there were a total of 217 new cases of the Corona Virus in China. Of these 217, 198 were reported from the city of Wuhan itself, where the virus was first discovered. Since the initial outbreak, the disease has spread beyond Wuhan city to other Chinese cities and even other countries. Beijing and Shanghai have also reported their first cases of the disease.

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