Thailand Says Patient Who Had Novel Coronavirus Has Died

(Bloomberg) -- A patient in Thailand who contracted the novel coronavirus infection has died, the first fatality in the country involving the outbreak.

The 35-year-old retail worker had dengue fever and the new disease known as Covid-19, Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director general of the Department of Disease Control, said in a briefing Sunday. The patient had been hospitalized for nearly a month and died on Feb. 29 after multiple organ failure.

The patient had tested negative for the virus since Feb. 16 but “the damage was already done to his body” from the infection, said Tawee Chotpitayasunondh, adviser to the Department of Disease Control. The health ministry is still looking into the case, Suwannachai said.

Almost 3,000 people have died from the infection, mostly in epicenter China. Thailand has reported 42 cases of infection, with 30 of those discharged.

To contact the reporter on this story: Siraphob Thanthong-Knight in Bangkok at rthanthongkn@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sunil Jagtiani at sjagtiani@bloomberg.net, Shamim Adam

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