West Virginia reports first coronavirus death

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia reported the state’s first death linked to the new coronavirus pandemic on Sunday.

The fatality involved an 88-year-old woman from Marion County, the Department of Health and Human Resources said in a news release. The statement said the death was confirmed through the Marion County Health Department and United Hospital Center.

The statement said no further details would be released.

“I ask all West Virginians to join Cathy and I in praying for the family, friends, and loved ones of this individual,” Gov. Justice said in a statement. “It is truly a sad day in West Virginia.”

West Virginia was the last U.S. state to report a confirmed case on March 17, a fact attributed by Justice to a lack of testing. It also was among the last states to report a death.

Hawaii and Wyoming are the only remaining states with no reported coronavirus deaths.

Justice, a Republican, has repeatedly warned of the virus’s potential damage in a state where about 20% of the population is 65 or older and a high percentage of people have existing health problems. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation study found that West Virginia has the nation’s highest percentage of adults at risk of developing serious illnesses from the virus.

West Virginia had at least 124 confirmed cases as of Sunday evening. That included at least 21 residents and eight staff members at the Sundale Nursing Home in Morgantown.

Testing remains limited, meaning most people now spreading the highly contagious virus may not know they have been infected, and state health officials have admitted their count lags behind the actual total as results pour in from counties around the state.

Isolation measures are in place throughout the nursing home, with the facility receiving donations of testing equipment and safety gear since the first case emerged last week. The state’s National Guard is also assisting in the effort.

Justice has called the situation at Sundale a “horror story.”

A statewide stay-home order that directed all nonessential businesses to close went into effect last Tuesday, intensifying previous moves by Justice, who has ordered the closure of bars, restaurants, casinos, gyms, health clubs, recreation centers, barbershops, nail salons and hair salons.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks, and the overwhelming majority of people recover. But severe cases can need respirators to survive, and with infections spreading exponentially, hospitals across the country are either bracing for a coming wave of patients, or already struggling to keep up.