Sweetwater County Sees First COVID-19 Related Death

Sweetwater County Sees First COVID-19 Related Death

CHEYENNE — The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) is announcing the death of a Sweetwater County man identified previously as one of the state’s laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 Coronavirus.

The older man had health conditions known to put patients at higher risk of serious illness related to COVID-19 and had been hospitalized.

Among Wyoming residents, there have now been 22 coronavirus-related deaths, 1,545 lab-confirmed cases and 359 probable cases reported.

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Whether Wyoming resident deaths are added to the state’s coronavirus-related death total is based on official death certificate information. Death certificates reflect whether COVID-19 caused or contributed to the person’s death according to medical opinion. If the disease neither caused nor contributed to the person’s death, that person’s death is not reflected in Wyoming’s count of coronavirus-related of deaths even if the person is known to be positive for the virus.

Disease symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after virus exposure and include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell. COVID-19 can be transmitted by infected people who aren’t experiencing symptoms.

WDH recommendations meant to slow and limit transmission of the virus include:

  • Staying home from work and away from others when ill unless medical care is needed
  • Maintaining physical distancing of 6 feet whenever practical
  • Wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where physical distancing is not reasonable

For more information about COVID-19, 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, please call your primary care provider or seek medical attention.

Please follow these tips to slow the spread of this virus:

  • Follow Public Health Orders
  • Practice social distancing of 6 feet or more.
  • Wear cloth face coverings in public settings, especially when physical distancing of at least 6 feet isn’t available.
  • Stay home when sick and avoid other people unless you need medical attention.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Older people and those with health conditions that mean they have a higher chance of getting seriously ill should avoid close-contact situations.
  • Long-term care and healthcare facilities should follow guidelines for infection control and prevention.

For current news, updates, closures and resources, please visit our COVID-19 Coronavirus page here.