China on Thursday reported its first death from COVID-19 in eight months.
The death on Wednesday afternoon during an increase in cases in Shijiazhuang City was the first complaint by Beijing officials since May.
Although the victim was not identified, she was already seriously ill with an unspecified underlying disease, state news agency Xinhua News reported.
The news sparked panic, with the label “New virus death in Hebei” garnering 270 million views on China’s Chinese social media platform Weibo on Thursday, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“I haven’t seen the words ‘killed by virus’ in a long time, it’s a bit shocking! I hope the epidemic can happen soon,” one user wrote, AFP said.
While China is the epicenter of the initial outbreak of the pandemic, the latest death this week puts the initial death toll in the nation at just 4,635.
So far there have been fewer than 100,000 confirmed cases in more than a year, with nearly 80 countries reporting more, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
China claims to have mainly controlled the coronavirus through strict blockades and massive tests, although it has also been accused of hiding data to hide the real toll.
More than 20 million people have been subjected to varying degrees of closure in Hebei, Beijing and other areas in hopes of causing infections before next month’s lunar New Year holidays.
The death was announced when a global team of scientists from the World Health Organization (WHO) finally arrived in Wuhan, the Chinese city where COVID-19 was detected to investigate its origins.
However, two of the 15 teams were denied entry after testing positive for coronavirus antibodies before leaving Singapore. said the WHO. They try again in the hope of continuing the journey.
The rest of the team arrived at Wuhan Airport and walked through a makeshift clear plastic tunnel to the airport. Investigators, who wore face masks, were greeted by airport staff with full protective gear, including masks, goggles and full-length suits.
They will undergo a fortnight of two weeks, but they will “Start your work immediately” working with Chinese experts via video conferencing during quarantine.
It is unclear whether they will visit the Wuhan Institute of Virology, according to the U.S. lab, officials suggested it could be the source of the infection.
With publishing cables