NEW ORLEANS — A US patient has died from the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, in Washington state.
This is the first confirmed death from the coronavirus in the United States.
According to a statement from Evergreen Health, a healthcare system in Washington, two patients were diagnosed with coronavirus COVID-19 on the night of Feb. 28. One of those patients died the next morning.
The second patient is in isolation, receiving appropriate treatment, according to the statement. Neither patient has a travel history, meaning they most likely caught the virus domestically.
“We are working closely with the Washington State Department of Health and Seattle & King County Public Health to ensure that people who may have been in contact with the patients, including other patients and providers, are screened and tested according to the appropriate guidelines,” the statement reads.
President Donald Trump is set to address the nation about the coronavirus threat later this afternoon.