5 coronavirus-related deaths confirmed in Iran as 28 infected patients identified in total, Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in a statement on state TV.

He added that 10 new cases of coronavirus was confirmed.

The first confirmed death from coronavirus was a 61-year-old man on 9 January 2020 who was first admitted to a Wuhan hospital on 27 December 2019. The first death outside of China occurred in the Philippines, when a 44-year-old Chinese male citizen developed severe pneumonia and died on 1 February. His companion, a 38-year-old Chinese female citizen was also confirmed to have contracted the virus, but eventually recovered. She stayed in the same hospital in Manila as her companion until her discharge on 8 February.

 On 8 February 2020, it was announced that a Japanese and an American died from the virus in Wuhan. They were the first non-Chinese killed by the virus. The first death outside of Asia was confirmed in Paris, France, on 15 February 2020, when an 80-year-old Chinese tourist from Hubei died after being in hospital since 25 January. On 19 February 2020, two elderly Japanese citizens who had been on the Diamond Princess died after being hospitalized for a week after they had tested positive for the virus. A 78-year-old Italian man in Veneto died on 21 February, 2020.

The virus was first detected in Wuhan city, Central China, in December 2019. It is believed to have originated from wild animals, passing to humans due to the wildlife trade and wet markets. The virus spread to other China provinces in early and mid-January 2020, helped by the Chinese new year migration.

WHO declared the new coronavirus outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 31. (ILKHA)