Health Notes

Second COVID-19 death confirmed in Washington state

by Charlie Smith on March 1st, 2020 at 7:51 PM
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      The nearest large American city to Vancouver, just three hours by car, is grappling with a growing outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

      Tonight, Seattle and King County Public Health has confirmed a second death from the illness also known as COVID-19.

      The second fatality was a man in his 70s, who died on Saturday (February 29). That came a day after a man in his 50s with a severe and undisclosed chronic underlying condition succumbed to COVID-19.

      Four additional positive tests have brought the total caseload to 10 in Washington state. Two of those cases involve men in their 60s who are in critical condition.

      The Washington Department of Health says anyone with questions can call a toll-free number at 1-800-525-0127.

      On Saturday (February 29) in British Columbia, Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry revealed an eighth case of COVID-19.

      It involved a woman who had travelled from Tehran. She's in isolation as she stays with family in the Vancouver Coastal Region.

      Four of the eight B.C. cases have fully recovered, according to Dix and Dr. Henry.

      There were also four new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario today, bringing that province's total to 15.

      The latest involves a Toronto male in his 50s, who's living temporarily in Vaughan. He's the brother of one of the other Toronto COVID-19 sufferers who had travelled to Iran.

      He's in self-isolation after being tested at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital.

      Another of the new Ontario cases is a male in his 40s, who's the spouse of York Region's first Iran-travel-related case. Acording to Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. David Williams, he was asymptomatic on all flights.

      For each of the past five days, there has been at least a 20 percent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases outside of China.

      More than 88,000 people worldwide have been infected by the novel coronavirus, which has appeared in more than 60 countries.

      In France, the famed Louvre museum was closed today when workers objected to the risk of exposure to COVID-19 from all the international tourists who pass through its doors.

      There have been 130 cases of COVID-19 and two deaths in France.

      The French government has responded by prohibiting public gatherings of more than 5,000 people.

      Meanwhile, in China, a 65-year-old novel coronavirus patient in intensive care made an astonishing recovery after being given stem-cell therapy.

      The South China Morning Post reported that this case was covered in a scientific paper by researchers at Kunming University.

      Four days after receiving umbilical cord stem cells, the woman was reportedly able to walk.

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