Coronavirus USA Update: US Death Toll At 9, Washington Confirms 7 New Cases

The eighth and ninth death in Washington state, which were announced Tuesday afternoon within minutes of each other, confirms the community spread of COVID-19 in King County, the state's most populous county and site of the capital, Seattle. Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency in his state February 29 after the first death from COVID-19.

The Washington State Department of Health confirmed the death toll from COVID-19 at nine Tuesday afternoon. It also revealed seven new cases in the state, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases to 21.

"This is a very fluid, fast-moving situation as we aggressively respond to this outbreak," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health-Seattle & King County (PHSKC), the public health department jointly managed by the City of Seattle and King County governments.

A genetic analysis released recently seems to indicate COVID-19 has been spreading undetected in Washington for some six weeks. A team of scientists in Washington said the state's first two deaths on February 29 and March 1 might only be the tip of an iceberg. They believe hundreds more of people in King County might already have been infected by the disease.

State officials said 231 people are under public health supervision on suspicion of infection. More than 50 people in a nursing facility called Life Care Center of Kirkland are sick and are being tested for the virus, said PHSKC.

Washington state reported five more deaths from COVID-19 Monday, bringing to seven the number of deaths in the state. The only deaths in the U.S. from COVID-19 are in Washington.

Five of the deceased were residents of Life Care Center. Eight of the nine people that died lived in King County. The other death was from Snohomish County, the third most populous county in the state.

“What is happening now in the United States may be the beginning of what is happening abroad,” said Nancy Messonnier, Director of the Center for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD).

Messonnier said the outbreak at the Washington care facility was particularly troubling. She pointed out older people are especially vulnerable to COVID-19's virulence and have an increased risk of death, especially if these elderly patients have underlying or co-morbid conditions.

Messonnier said the latest developments “have heightened our concern for certain communities in the U.S.’’ She warned people age 65 and older to take extra precautions to avoid exposure to the coronavirus.