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U.S. NEWS Monday 2 March 2020

Wash. state sees 1st virus death in U.S., declares emergency

By ANDREW SELSKY in the community. vendors as a precaution,
Associated Press "This is the tip of the ice- Basham said.
The governor of Washing- berg," he said. A growing number of cases
ton declared a state of The health officials re- in California, Washington
emergency Saturday after ported two cases of CO- state and Oregon are con-
a man died there of COV- VID-19 virus connected founding authorities be-
ID-19, the first such reported to a long-term care facil- cause the infected people
death in the United States. ity in the same suburb, Life hadn't recently traveled
More than 50 people in a Care Center of Kirkland. overseas or had any known
nursing facility are sick and One is a Life Care worker, close contact with a trav-
being tested for the virus. a woman in her 40s who is eler or an infected person.
Gov. Jay Inslee directed in satisfactory condition at The Santa Clara County
state agencies to use "all a hospital, and the other is Public Health Department
resources necessary" to a woman in her 70s and a announced Saturday the
prepare for and respond to resident at Life Care who is case of a fourth person in
the coronavirus outbreak. hospitalized in serious con- the county infected with A person is taken by stretcher to a waiting ambulance from
The declaration also allows dition. Neither had traveled coronavirus, The case is of a nursing facility where more than 50 people are sick and
the use of the Washington abroad. a woman who is a "house- being tested for the COVID-19 virus, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, in
National Guard, if neces- "In addition, over 50 indi- hold contact" of a person Kirkland, Wash.
sary. "We will continue to viduals associated with who is hospitalized with the Associated Press
work toward a day where Life Care are reportedly ill virus, the health depart-
no one dies from this virus," with respiratory symptoms ment said in a news re- ing coughing and fever, the flu spreads. To achieve
the governor vowed. or hospitalized with pneu- lease. though some can become more rapid testing capac-
Health officials in California, monia or other respiratory The woman has not been more serious and lead to ity, the U.S. Food and Drug
Oregon and Washington conditions of unknown hospitalized and is not ill, pneumonia. Older people, Administration issued an
state are worried about the cause and are being test- the department said. especially those with chron- accelerated policy Satur-
novel coronavirus spread- ed for COVID-19," Seattle In Oregon, the state's ic illnesses such as heart or day enabling laboratories
ing through West Coast and King County officials Health Authority said Sat- lung disease, are espe- to use tests they develop.
communities because a said. "Additional positive urday that the second per- cially vulnerable. Health FDA Commissioner Ste-
growing number of people cases are expected." son who was tested for ex- officials think it spreads phen Hahn said his agency
are being infected de- Overlake Medical Center in posure to the virus doesn't mainly from droplets when is "rapidly responding and
spite not having visited an Bellevue, Washington, said have it. The agency said in an infected person coughs adapting to this dynamic
area where there was an a health care worker from a statement that it "contin- or sneezes, similar to how and evolving situation."q
outbreak, nor apparently Life Care is a patient at the ues approving testing for
been in contact with any- hospital. The woman, who persons under investiga-
one who had. is in her 40s, was admitted tion, a number that's likely
The man who died was in his to the hospital Thursday to increase following the
50s, had underlying health and is in stable condition, report of the state's first pre-
conditions and no history the center said. sumptive case and new
of travel or contact with Amy Reynolds of the Wash- Centers for Disease Control
a known COVID-19 case, ington state health depart- and Prevention guidance
health officials in Washing- ment said in a brief tele- that calls for testing of any-
ton state said at a news phone interview: "We are one experiencing severe
conference. A spokesper- dealing with an emergen- respiratory symptoms."
son for EvergreenHealth cy evolving situation." The U.S. has about 60 con-
Medical Center, Kayse No one answered the firmed cases. Worldwide,
Dahl, said the person died phone at Life Care, but El- the number of people
in the facility in the Seattle lie Basham, its executive di- sickened by the virus hov-
suburb of Kirkland. rector, said in a statement ered Friday around 83,000,
Dr. Frank Riedo, medical that residents and employ- and there were more than
director of Infection Con- ees are being monitored 2,800 deaths, most of them
trol at Evergreen, said local and those with symptoms in China. A 60-year-old U.S.
hospitals are seeing people or who were potentially citizen died in Wuhan in
with severe coronavirus exposed are quarantined. early February.
symptoms but it's probable The facility has banned Most infections result in
that there are more cases families, volunteers and mild symptoms, includ-