Shanghai man 'coughs blood' and dies after 19-hour gaming marathon in internet cafe

Early on the morning of February 27, a 24-year-old man surnamed Wu collapsed in a Shanghai internet cafe.

Wu had been playing computer games continuously for 19 hours, with no break, before his head slumped down and he "coughed up several mouthfuls of blood" before collapsing in front of the screen.

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The man seated beside Wu said that they were both joking around up until the moment he began coughing, which came without warning. 

After being helped over a nearby sofa, Wu lost consciousness. By the time paramedics arrived at the Songjiang District establishment, he was already dead.

Wu reportedly suffered from tuberculosis but what exactly precipitated his sudden demise has not been officially confirmed.

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According to netizen comments, hygiene conditions at the cafe and others like it are deplorable, with "oily keyboards" and the air thick with second-hand smoke, producing a hotbed with the spread of infectious diseases and the exacerbation of pre-existing conditions. 

Of course, gaming for 19 hours straight can't have helped, either.

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[Images via Apple Daily, Epoch Times]