Report: First Coronavirus-Related Deaths in North Carolina
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is reporting the first COVID-19 associated deaths.
A person in their late seventies from Cabarrus County died on March 24th, 2020 from complications associated with the virus according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The patient had several underlying medical conditions in addition to the coronavirus. A second person in their sixties, from Virginia who was traveling through North Carolina, also died from COVID-19 complications. Our prayers are with their families.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommends that people at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 stay at home to the extent possible to decrease the chance of infection. On March 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated who is at high risk for severe illness. People at high risk include anyone who:
- Is 65 years of age or older
- Lives in a nursing home or long-term care facility
- Has a high-risk condition that includes:
- chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
- heart disease with complications
- compromised immune system
- severe obesity – body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher
- other underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, such as diabetes, renal failure or liver disease
For more information and additional guidance, please visit the NCDHHS website at www.ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus and CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.
