Testing for coronavirus in Australia predates first known case

A coroner has ordered that a man who died last year from pneumonia be tested for coronavirus, marking the possibility authorities are not ruling out the contagion was in Australia earlier.

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Exclusive: The first case of coronavirus in Australia might have been earlier than originally suspected with authorities now looking to re-test samples of some deceased as far back as the start of December.

The first documented COVID-19 infection case was on January 19 with a traveller returning to Melbourne from coronavirus ground zero city Wuhan in China.

But News Corp Australia has learned authorities are now COVID-19 testing some of those patients who have died more than one month earlier, where the cause of death was not clear or branded “pneumonia” where no underlying illness was identified.

Last week the family of Melbourne salesman Matthew (surname withheld), who died unexpectedly on December 7 and was cremated 10 days later, was told a sample would be tested for COVID-19. A preliminary test has returned as negative for coronavirus and investigations are continuing.

The Melbourne Coroner’s court said yesterday a test for coronavirus was an option now for some cases.

Matthew. Picture: Supplied

“A coroner may direct forensic tests to be conducted at any point in an investigation to determine cause of death, if samples are available,” a spokeswoman for the coroner’s office said.

“The Court has been closely monitoring the coronavirus situation and conducting tests where appropriate. To date there have been no deaths from coronavirus reported to the Court.”

The coroner confirmed Matthew’s case remains still under investigation.

Coroners’ courts nationwide have issued protocols for cases in the wake of COVID-19 including reportability requirements. Diagnostics within hospitals remain at the discretion of treating clinicians but cases reported to the coroner offices would seek a review of medical records and inquiries into recent travel and health histories including any “flu-like symptoms” in the lead up to death.

BEIJING, CHINA – JANUARY 23: Chinese passengers, almost all wearing protective masks, arrive to board trains at before the annual Spring Festival at a Beijing railway station on January 23, 2020 in Beijing, China. Picture: Getty

The Federal Health Department said yesterday it was not aware authorities were looking at dated cases with the possibility there could have been COVID-19 victims earlier than the confirmed case in January.

For the family of Matthew, who died in his home in Pascoe Vale in Melbourne’s north, knowing a cause has been important.

The cause of death for the keen golfer and avid Hawthorn supporter has been put down as pneumonia; he had never suffered that before and two weeks before he died told his partner of nine years and their housemate he thought he had the flu. He had not been overseas but had mixed with friends who had returned from abroad.

“When they let me know they were doing a test for coronavirus even though he died in December I was quite surprised and they did it quickly, there must have been concern there,” Matthew’s mother said.

“It was interesting they are checking about coronavirus now from then December when he died, somebody told me there had been a lot of pneumonia cases around then which is strange. At the time he had been ill for two weeks with a bad flu … short of breath, a cough and no energy, but he didn’t visit a doctor or hospital for medical advice. Coronavirus didn’t start here until 2020 but maybe they now think it could have been earlier.”

Originally published as Testing for coronavirus in Australia predates first known case