Mass infection feared at a Korean hospital in Cheongdo

Cheongdo Daenam Hospital. (Yonhap)

KOREA, Feb 20 (The Korea Herald/ANN) -- A hospital in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang Province, could emerge as the new cluster of COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea, after a total of 15 people, including a man who died Wednesday, were confirmed to have contracted the virus.

The deceased was in his 60s and had been under treatment at Cheongdo Daenam Hospital for 20 years. He died the previous day, according to health officials. The patient suffered pneumonia-like illness before death and was confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19 through a posthumous test. The exact cause of death is yet to be identified, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.