Australian tourist infected with coronavirus dies in Iceland; coronavirus not cause of death

  • March 20, 2020

An Australian tourist who died at a medical centre in Iceland later tested positive for coronavirus, local media has reported.

The Melbourne man, believed to be aged in his late 30s, arrived seriously ill at a clinic in Husavik in the country’s north-east and died on Monday.

While the man later tested positive for COVID-19, it was not his cause of death.

“It has since been confirmed that the man had the COVID-19 coronavirus. His symptoms were not typical for the virus, however, and the cause of his death is under investigation,” the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service reported.

“While he was found to be infected with the coronavirus, it is unlikely to have been the cause of his death… his symptoms came on very quickly and were not those usually associated with COVID-19 deaths.”

The man’s fiancee, who was travelling with him at the time, has also tested positive for coronavirus and has been placed in isolation.

An investigation is underway to determine the man’s cause of death. Staff at the Husavik clinic who came in contact with the couple have been quarantined and the centre is being disinfected.

There have been more than 245,834 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, with more than 10,046 deaths. Australia has 814 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with seven deaths.