FIRST DEATH AMONG COVID-19 PATIENTS

[Anchor Lead]

The first death among the confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus has occurred in Korea. The patient had underlying health conditions and tested positive for COVID-19 posthumously. Authorities are investigating if the immediate cause of his death was indeed the coronavirus.

[Pkg]

The first death among confirmed COVID-19 cases in the nation has occurred in Cheongdo, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. The deceased patient was a 63-year-old man hospitalized at Daenam Hospital. He tested positive for the virus after passing. The man died two days ago after developing pneumonia symptoms. Quarantine authorities tested him for COVID-19 posthumously, and the results came back positive. The man had been hospitalized at Daenam Hospital from December 2017. According to sources, prior to that, the man spent more than three decades at medical facilities and had no family or relatives.

[Soundbite] (OFFICIAL FROM CHEONGDO-GUN COUNTY GOVERNMENT(VOICE ALTERED)) : "His address is the address of Daenam Hospital. He passed away there after being hospitalized in other hospitals."

However, it's still unclear if the immediate cause of the patient's death was COVID-19. Quarantine authorities will examine his medical records to determine the cause of his death in cooperation with clinical experts. Authorities also found that patient number 31, who is believed to have spread the virus to dozens of people in the southeastern region of the nation, visited Cheongdo early this month.