Four more people have died from the Coronavirus in Washington state, raising the death toll there to 6, officials confirmed Monday, March 2.
The four deaths are elderly women in their 70s and 80s, King County Public Health confirmed. All 6 Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. are in the Kirkland, Washington area.
Four of the deaths are residents in the Life Care Center nursing facility in Kirkland. Four other residents and an employee in the nursing facility are infected with the virus.
50 people in the nursing facility are being tested for the virus. Officials say they will open isolation centers in Kirkland in an effort to contain the virus.
There are at least 18 cases in Washington state, with at least 14 cases in King County and four in Snohomish County.
The Coronavirus, dubbed Covid-19, is still not as deadly as the common flu virus, which has killed 10,000 Americans this flu season. The CDC expects 40,000 deaths from the influenza virus by the end of the flu season.
Influenza virus and Covid-19 are highly contagious virus that cause serious respiratory problems. But Covid-19 also attacks the heart and kidneys – two organs that express ACE2 enzymes, which the virus needs to enter human cells.
Black people of African descent have less ACE2 enzymes than Caucasians. So we are not at risk. Children have much less ACE2 than we do, so they are not affected. No child under age 10 has died from the coronavirus anywhere in the world.
People who are most at risk are the elderly and those with weak immune systems.
The important thing to remember is most people younger than 50 who were infected with the coronavirus have fully recovered.
The CDC offers the following tips to avoid spreading the flu or Covid-19 virus:
1. Wash your hands frequently with soap for at least 20 seconds
2. Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
3. Avoid close contact with sick people
4. Stay home if you are sick
5. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, refrigerator handles, etc.
