Three more deaths linked to coronavirus disease, bringing total COVID-19 fatalities in Washington state to 9
March 3, 2020 at 11:02 am Updated March 3, 2020 at 3:13 pm
By
Ryan Blethen
Seattle Times staff reporter
The deaths of three more residents of a Kirkland nursing home were linked to the coronavirus disease on Tuesday, bringing the number of deaths to nine in Washington state, according to health officials.
Now at least eight residents of the home, the Life Care Center, have died, and their deaths are attributed to COVID-19, the disease caused by a new coronavirus known officially as SARS-CoV-2.
Two of the residents who were confirmed to have COVID-19 on Tuesday died nearly a week before, on Feb. 26, and mark the nation’s earliest known fatalities from the illness.
A 54-year-old resident died at Harborview Medical Center on Feb. 26, hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg said. The man was taken to Harborview on Feb. 24, and had underlying health conditions. Doctors and public health officials typically don’t disclose what health conditions a patient had, due to privacy laws.
The death of another Life Care Center resident was announced Tuesday, and she also had died on Feb. 26. The woman was in her 80s, was never hospitalized and died at home, according to Public Health – Seattle & King County.
The third death announced Tuesday was a woman in her 70s who was also a resident of the Life Care Center and had been hospitalized at EvergreenHealth in Kirkland. She had underlying health conditions and died on Monday, according to Public Health – Seattle & King County.