The victim, a 61-year-old man, died Jan. 9 after being hospitalized with respiratory failure and severe pneumonia. Chinese authorities noted the man had several other underlying health conditions, including abdominal tumors and chronic liver disease.
The outbreak first made headlines earlier this month after dozens of people contracted pneumonia from an unknown virus in Wuhan, China. Health officials have since discovered a new strain of coronavirus in 41 of the sickened individuals. Scientists shared the new strain’s genetic sequencing Jan. 10, allowing global health experts to learn about the virus and develop future treatments for it.
Coronavirus originates in bats but is well-known for spreading to people and other animals. At present, health officials have not found any evidence of the strain spreading through human transmission. However, some health experts say it may be too early in the outbreak to tell, according to STAT.
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