COVID-19 claims second life in Virginia

A second man in James City County died from respiratory failure

Published March 16, 2020 by Kate Andrews / Sydney Lake

A second person in the Peninsula Health District has died from COVID-19, according to a news release posted by James City County on Monday.

The patient was a male in his 70s who died from respiratory failure as a result of the novel coronavirus, the Virginia Department of Health reported, the county alert said. This is the second death in the state; the first, recorded last week, was another man in his 70s in James City County.

Both patients acquired the virus through an unknown source, according to the VDH.

“It is a sad day in our community as we learn that a local resident has died from COVID-19,” Dr. Steve Julian, the Peninsula Health Department’s acting director, said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to his family and friends. We will continue to work toward a day where no one dies from this virus.”

The Henrico County Health Department confirmed the county’s first case of the virus Monday, and the first case in Charlottesville was announced by the Thomas Jefferson Health District on Monday, as well.

The positive case is an individual in their late 50s and a resident in the city of Charlottesville, according to the health department. The case appears to be travel-related, and the patient was tested for the coronavirus by a commercial lab. Chesterfield County now has a second COVID patient, a woman in her 50s, according to a Monday news release from the VDH. The cause is still under investigation.

Also, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center is treating its first confirmed coronavirus patient, the VDH confirmed Monday.

“We have been preparing for potential COVID-19 patients to arrive in need of treatment since the earliest reports of a global pandemic,” VCU Health said in a statement. “We have highly trained infectious disease experts prepared specifically to respond to new disease threats, such as COVID-19.”

VCU Health is using screening questions for patients upon arrival to identify any potential coronavirus cases. They’ve also updated their visitor guidelines as of Monday. No visitors will be allowed who have any symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat or difficulty breathing; have returned from any of the COVID-19 high-risk countries or regions within the last 14 days; have been exposed to COVID-19; or are children under 16 years of age.

“We encourage everyone to continue to take simple but very important steps to protect yourself and the public at-large, including hand-washing with soap and water, covering your cough, maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet) from others, and avoiding congregate settings when possible,” VCU Health said.