Mexico’s First COVID-19 Fatality Allegedly Contracted the Virus at a Ghost Show

Update, 12:32 pm EDT: Although multiple reliable media outlets have reported attendance at this show as being 50,000+, other sources claim the venue’s capacity does not exceed 20,000.

Mexico has suffered its first death from the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. The unidentified 41-year-old man “had an underlying health condition, diabetes, which may have contributed to his death,” according to Billboard.

What’s this got to do with metal? Well, the man allegedly contracted the virus while he was one of more than 50,000 attendees at the final show of Ghost’s current album cycle. That concert took place in Mexico City’s Palacio de los Deportes on March 3, and saw the band unveil “new” frontman Papa Emeritus IV. The man was subsequently hospitalized on March 9.

Meanwhile, another attendee of the same concert, age 40, has also tested positive for the virus. He has been hospitalized but is reportedly in stable condition.