First American death from coronavirus reported in Wuhan


A U.S. citizen has died of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China, The New York Times reported Saturday.
Few details have been offered, but the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said the person was around 60 years old and died at Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan on Thursday. Two people familiar with the situation said the patient was a woman with underlying health problems. It appears to be the first death of an American since the outbreak began.
"We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss," a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said. "Out of respect for the family's privacy, we have no further comment."
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Japan's foreign ministry said Saturday that a Japanese citizen in his 60s also died at a medical facility in Wuhan.
China reported 86 more deaths Saturday, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related fatalities past 700 overall. Read more at The New York Times and NBC News.
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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
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