18th COVID-19 Death '83-Year-Old Male'... Suffered from Cerebral Infarction and Hypertension (Summary)

A Korean Air charter flight carrying Korean residents from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, where the novel coronavirus infection occurred, arrived at Gimpo International Airport in Gangseo-gu, Seoul on the 31st. Among the residents who completed departure procedures, those with fevers are leaving the airport by ambulance. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The number of deaths caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea has risen to 18.

On the 1st, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, announced at a regular briefing that "the 18th COVID-19 death has occurred." The deceased was an 83-year-old man residing in the Daegu area, who was known to have underlying conditions such as cerebral infarction, hypertension, and diabetes.

The patient was receiving treatment in a negative pressure isolation room at Kyungpook National University Hospital and passed away at 11:20 a.m. that day. He was tested at a screening clinic on the 27th of last month, confirmed positive the next day on the 28th, and transferred to the negative pressure isolation room. It was reported that the patient’s health was poor due to underlying diseases such as cerebral infarction, hypertension, and diabetes from the time of hospital admission.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), as of 9 a.m. that day, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Korea was 3,526.

The health authorities are investigating the specific cause of death of this patient. Most of the COVID-19 deaths in South Korea have been analyzed to have underlying chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, diabetes, cancer, and other pre-existing conditions.