CHEYENNE — Deaths of two Wyoming residents that occurred in March and April have been added to Wyoming’s total count of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) deaths, according to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH).
Both deaths occurred in Colorado and were reported very recently to Wyoming’s Vital Statistics Services Office, which is part of WDH. Neither had been included previously in Wyoming’s case count.
An older woman from Carbon County who had existing conditions that put her at higher risk of serious illness related to the virus died in late April. An older man from Laramie County also died in late March, but it is unclear whether he had higher risk-related conditions.
“When Wyoming residents pass away in another state from a disease such as COVID-19, it is a widely accepted practice to track those deaths based on the location of the person’s permanent residence,” said Guy Beaudoin, deputy state registrar with WDH.
“In Wyoming, we have instructed medical certifiers such as attending physicians and coroners that COVID-19 should only be reported on death certificates when the disease caused or contributed to a person’s death,” he said. “So if someone who happens to be positive for COVID-19 died due to an automobile accident, their passing would not be counted as a coronavirus-related death.”
Deaths associated with COVID-19 are being counted by WDH in the same manner as influenza-related deaths have long been reported in Wyoming with a focus on death certificate information.
Beaudoin noted it is not unexpected to experience delays in receiving information from other states. “Within Wyoming, we are working closely with hospitals and coroners and are able to receive information much more quickly,” he said.
There are now 10 deaths, 577 lab-confirmed cases and 189 probable cases reported for Wyoming during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information about COVID-19 from WDH, visit: https://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/infectious-disease-epidemiology-unit/disease/novel-coronavirus/.
THE LATEST COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS NEWS & INFO FROM THE WYOMING DEPT. OF HEALTH
What to do if you feel sick: If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and are showing symptoms, like a temperature of 100 or greater or a cough, DO NOT go to the Emergency Room.
Please call your primary care provider or either Castle Rock Medical Center (Green River) at 307-872-4590 or Memorial Hospital’s Triage Line (Rock Springs) at 307-522-8523. The hotline is available 24/7.
Health professionals will be available to discuss your symptoms and address concerns regarding COVID-19 to determine if a visit or further testing is necessary.
Please follow these tips to slow the spread of this virus:
For current news, updates, closures and resources, please visit our COVID-19 Coronavirus page here.
This content was originally published here.
