COVID-19: First Death and New Case Confirmed in Latin America

The first death from coronavirus-related complications (COVID-19) was reported Saturday in Argentina, while the first case was confirmed in Paraguay.

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A 64-year-old man died from complications related to the virus, becoming the first such death in Latin America,  health authorities announced.

The Health Ministry of the country said the patient lived in Buenos Aires and had been confirmed with COVID-19 after coming down with a cough, fever and sore throat following a recent trip to Europe.

The patient, who suffered kidney failure, already had diabetes, hypertension and bronchitis before being infected with the virus, a statement said. He had been in intensive care since being admitted to a public hospital Wednesday, it reported.

On the other hand, Paraguay has registered its first confirmed case of coronavirus, the Ministry of Health of the country announced on Saturday.

At a press conference, the Health Minister said he was a 32-year-old man who had visited Ecuador, where coronavirus cases have been confirmed. Man's health is stable for the moment, the authority said.

The coronavirus disease has already reached several countries in South America, including Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Argentina and now Paraguay.

On a global scale, as of Saturday, the number of coronavirus cases has exceeded 105,000, with more than 90 countries reporting infections. In addition, over 3,500 people have already died from the disease, while more than 58,000 have fully recovered.

COVID-19 was first detected in China's Wuhan in late December and has since spread across the world. In late January, the World Health Organisation declared a global health emergency in light of the epidemic.