Moscow: Russia registered Thursday the first death of a patient infected with the coronavirus, an elderly woman who had been hospitalised here, health officials said.
The 79-year-old, who had tested positive, was hospitalised March 13 and had several other conditions including diabetes and heart problems, the Moscow health department said in a statement. She died of pneumonia while being treated in an intensive care unit and people she had contact with have been isolated, the statement added.
“The elderly patient had a host of chronic diseases,” Svetlana Krasnova, head doctor at Moscow’s hospital No. 2 for infectious diseases, was quoted as saying in the statement.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin added on Twitter that ‘unfortunately, we have the first loss from the coronavirus infection’.
Russia has reported 147 cases of the novel coronavirus, according to official figures Thursday. Moscow authorities Wednesday urged elderly residents to stay away from crowded places like cafes and shopping centres.
President Vladimir Putin earlier this week had said the coronavirus situation is ‘generally under control’ in the country, and the government has promised to step up testing.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin called on people Thursday to ‘cut down on contacts as much as possible’ during a government meeting.
AFP