The Wyoming Department of Health announced three new COVID-19 related deaths on Monday, Aug. 17. That brings Wyoming’s total COVID-19 related death count to 33.
The three deaths added to Wyoming’s COVID-19 related count include a Goshen County woman, a Sheridan County man and a Platte County man.
“A Goshen County adult woman who had health conditions recognized as putting patients at higher risk of serious illness related to COVID-19 died recently,” the WDH said. “The woman had not been hospitalized.”
The Sheridan County man died in July.
“The older adult man had tested positive for the virus and was being cared for in a Montana long-term care facility at the time of his virus exposure and death,” the WDH said.
The Platte County man died in Florida. He was added to Wyoming’s COVID-19 related death count because he was a resident of the state.
“An older adult Platte County man died in a Florida long-term care facility in July after exposure to the virus there,” the WDH said. “This person’s death will also be added to Wyoming’s count due to residency.”
The WDH said that a man also died recently in a Sheridan County hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, but that his death will not be added to the state’s COVID-19 related death count because he was an out-of-state resident.
“Deaths associated with COVID-19 are being counted by WDH in the same manner as influenza-related deaths have long been reported in Wyoming,” the WDH add. “Deaths among Wyoming residents are added to the state’s coronavirus-related death total based on the location of a person’s permanent residence and official death certificate information.”
“If the disease did not cause or contribute to the person’s death, that person’s death is not reflected in Wyoming’s count of coronavirus-related deaths even if the person is known to be positive for the virus. It is not unexpected for death certificate information from other states to be delayed.”
As of Monday, there have been 2,829 Wyoming residents who have had a lab confirmed case of COVID-19 along with 502 probable cases.
The WDH provides further COVID-19 information for Wyoming online.
This article originally appeared on Oil City News. Used with permission.
The Wyoming Department of Health provides COVID-19 case, variant, death, testing, hospital and vaccine data online. The department also shares information about how the data can be interpreted. COVID-19 safety recommendations are available from the CDC.