Hospital doctor is first medic to die of coronavirus in France
A doctor has become the first hospital worker to die from coronavirus in France, the country’s health minister said.
The victim was an emergency doctor from Compiègne, Oise, which was one of the first regions in the country to be badly hit by the virus.
More than 14,000 people have contracted coronavirus in France with 562 confirmed deaths, according to latest reports.
French health minister Olivier Véran said it was the first Covid-19 death of a doctor in the country.
He said: ‘I was informed yesterday evening of the death of a hospital doctor, it is to my knowledge, the first situation that has struck a hospital doctor.’
Mr Véran declined to give more information to respect the family’s wishes.
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The doctor died after being transferred to Lille, according to reports.
The French government has reportedly ordered 250 million surgical masks from national and international suppliers, following widespread concerns from frontline medical staff and at risk patients.
When announcing the purchase, Mr Veran said: ‘There is an issue on everyone’s minds, that of protective masks and equipment.
‘I understand the urgency of giving masks to those who care for us and those who are sick.’
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