4 More Die From Coronavirus In Washington State, Bringing U.S. Toll To 6

Lisette Voytko Forbes Staff Mar 2, 2020, 03:11pm

Topline: Four more people have died of coronavirus in Washington State, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, bringing the death toll to six as fears grow that the state⁠—and a Seattle-area nursing home⁠—have become an epicenter for the disease.

·         Three of the four new deaths occurred at the nursing home, located in nearby Kirkland, Washington, according to the WSJ.

·         Residents of the nursing facility have been told to stay in their rooms, according to the New York Times, while visitors⁠—including relatives and volunteers⁠⁠—were barred from the premises, after a resident and employee tested positive for the virus.  

·         At least 12 of Washington’s cases have no connection to overseas travel, a possible indicator that the coronavirus has spread within the U.S., the Times reported, which cited unnamed experts.

·         King County, which contains Seattle, was declared to be in a state of emergency by county executive Dow Constantine, according to the Times.

·         Seattle officials are looking into buying a motel and using modular housing units to isolate people who don’t require hospitalization, according to Constantine.

·         Officials in the Seattle area want to open isolation centers in the state to contain the outbreak, according to the Times. 

Big number: 50. That’s at least how many of the nursing center’s staff and residents have reported coronavirus symptoms, but they have not been diagnosed as of Monday afternoon, according to the Washington Post. 

What we don’t know: How long coronavirus could have been spreading within the U.S. Genetic analysis of the virus in Washington State revealed that the disease could have been spreading for at least six weeks before the area’s first case was confirmed, according to the Times.

Key background: The Times reported that more coronavirus testing is expected to be conducted across the Seattle region. Prior to Monday’s reported fatalities, 25% of Kirkland’s firefighters were quarantined after having been to the nursing facility, and the local hospital has also told visitors to stay away. An area college has also cleaned its campus after some students had visited the nursing facility. A total of 96 cases have been confirmed across the United States, nearly a 10% increase from the number reported Monday morning. The first coronavirus patient to die in the U.S. occurred in Washington State on Saturday. Globally, over 90,000 people have been infected and over 3,000 people have died from the disease.

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