Green River woman with COVID-19 dies
Wyoming state total now at 23 coronavirus-related deaths
July 16, 2020
A second of three patients hospitalized at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County has become Sweetwater County's second COVID-related death, according to the Sweetwater County District Board of Health.
The patient, a Green River woman in her 90s who was recently identified as a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19, tested positive on Tuesday, July 7. She was in fair condition and was managing her symptoms and isolating at home. As her symptoms (including body aches, fatigue and a cough) worsened, her condition deteriorated and she was admitted into the hospital on Saturday, July 11. Hospital staff report that she died late yesterday afternoon, on Wednesday, July 15. Local public health officials report that the older woman suffered pre-existing health conditions known to put patients at higher risk of serious illness or medical complications related to the COVID-19 virus.
In an ongoing analysis of available data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, underlying medical conditions that put individuals at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 most often include heart or lung conditions, obesity, diabetes and immunodeficiencies.
The county's first virus-related death, a Rock Springs man in his 70s, occurred on Monday evening, July 13 and was reported on Tuesday morning, July 14.
Whether Wyoming resident deaths are added to the state's coronavirus-related death total is based on official death certification information, according to state health officials. Death certificates reflect whether COVID-19 caused or contributed to the person's death according to medical opinion. If the disease neither caused nor contributed to the person's death, then that person's death is not reflected in Wyoming's count of COVID-related deaths, even if the person is known to be positive for the virus.
Of the county's lab-confirmed cases, there have been 9 recoveries and 5 new cases reported in the last 24 hours for a total of 41 active cases and 104 recoveries since the pandemic began.
More health and Sweetwater County community updates can be found at facebook.com/scdboh, sweetwatermemorial.com, covid19.wyo.gov, and cdc.gov.
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