First coronavirus death confirmed in UK

LONDON – A patient has died in the United Kingdom after testing positive for coronavirus, according to the Royal Berkshire NHS Trust.

In a statement on its website, the hospital said: “Sadly, we can confirm that an older patient with underlying health conditions has died. The patient has previously been in and out of hospital for non-coronavirus reasons, but on this occasion was admitted and last night tested positive for coronavirus.”

“The family has been informed and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. We will not be commenting further and ask that everybody respects the family’s privacy.”

“Public Health England is contacting anyone who may have come into contact with the affected patient to offer advice.”

The death is the first in the UK where there are now 116 confirmed cases. The Department of Health said that 18,083 people have now been tested for COVID-19.

The virus has spread to more than 30 countries, killing over 2,700 and infecting 95,000 people globally.