Coronavirus Update: Hong Kong Reports Second Death, Global Death Toll Hits 2,009

A 70-year-old Hong Kong man afflicted with Covid-19 but also suffering from diabetes and kidney problems died 7:00 a.m. Wednesday at Princess Margaret Hospital.

Hong Kong's Department of Health and the Hospital Authority said this man was the second Hongkong citizen to die from Covid-19 and the sixth person outside mainland China to have fallen victim to this highly-contagious coronavirus. A spokesman for the hospital said the patient’s condition deteriorated and he had died Wednesday morning, the South China Morning Post reported.

He said the patient had taken ill on February 2 and was sent to Princess Margaret Hospital 10 days later after suffering a fall. The patient was in critical condition when his case was confirmed as a Covid-19 infection on February 14. It was also revealed this man had taken a trip to the mainland through Lok Ma Chau on January 22.

Hong Kong’s first fatality was a 39-year-old man residing at Whampoa Garden that also suffered from diabetes. He died February 4 and was later identified as the 13th confirmed case in the city.

China reported the death toll from Covid-19 at 2,009, as of 11:00 a.m., Hong Kong time. The deaths exceeded the 2,000 mark about six hours earlier.

The degree of the disease's infectiousness can be gleaned from casualty reports only hours apart. As of 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, Hong Kong time, China reported 75,196 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 2,009 deaths worldwide. In addition, the National Health Commission (NHC) claims 14,449 persons have recovered from the pneumonia-like illness. Some 11,200 people remain in severe or critical condition.

Less than five hours before or at 6:41 a.m., Wednesday, there were 75,122 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 2,005 deaths worldwide. China alone accounted for 74,129 cases and 2,000 deaths. In addition, NHC claims 12,624 persons have recovered from the pneumonia-like illness.

NHC reported 1,749 new cases of Covid-19 and 136 new deaths, bringing the totals to 74,185 and 2,004, respectively, on mainland China as of Wednesday. It noted that, for the first time, the number of patients that had recovered and been discharged from hospital was larger than the number of new cases reported.

Outside Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, the number of new infections fell for the 15th consecutive day. Hubei, however, continued to be hardest hit by Covid-19 with 1,693 new cases and 132 new deaths on Wednesday morning.

NHC said the newly reported cases of Covid-19 remain concentrated in Wuhan, Hubei’s capital. Hubei’s Health and Family Planning Commission (HFPC) claims more than 9,100 people in Hubei have recovered from Covid-19 and been released from hospital.