Taiwan reports 1st COVID-19 death, Fauci comments on possibility of a pandemic

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews

Taiwan death

The Taiwan CDC reported today (computer translated) on on two additional COVID-19 infections–number 19 and 20, including the first death.

The first case is a male in his 60s, with a history of hepatitis B and diabetes. He had no recent overseas travel history, and no known contact with COVID-19 confirmed cases. The patient began to cough January 27, and went to a hospital February 3 for shortness of breath, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. He was hospitalized in a negative pressure isolation ward the same day. On the evening of February 15, the patient died of pneumonia-induced sepsis. With his family members’ consent, the patient’s remains will be cremated in accordance with legal requirements for communicable diseases. Tissue specimens will first be taken for further testing.

The second confirmed case is a male in his 50s, a member of the first case’s family. He was confirmed infected with COVID-19 after lab tests February 15. So far, this patient shows no symptoms of COVID-19, and is being treated in a negative pressure isolation ward.

Coronavirus becoming a pandemic?

On today’s airing of Face the Nation, host Margaret Brennan asked the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr Anthony Fauci is the coronavirus situation is becoming a pandemic.

Fauci said, “A pandemic is when you have multiple countries throughout the world have what’s called sustained transmission–from person to person to person–multiple generations.

“Right now there are 24 countries in which there are over 500 cases. Several of them are starting to get to the second and third transmission.

“So technically speaking, the WHO wouldn’t be calling this a global pandemic. But it certainly is on the verge of that happening reasonably soon unless containment is more successful than it is right now”.

PANDEMIC FEARS? Dr. Anthony Fauci tells @margbrennan that #Coronavirus is certainly “on the verge” of becoming a pandemic “unless containment is more successful than it is right now.” pic.twitter.com/zOJeaSJk66 — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 16, 2020



