The safety net
Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, many Virginia hospital beds were routinely full. “We are 90% to 100% occupied every day in VCU Health, generally [from] elective surgical care,” says Dr. Ron Clark, interim CEO of VCU Hospitals and Clinics. In the days following Gov. Ralph Northam’s state of emergency declaration, heal[...]
Five more COVID-19 deaths announced in Virginia; total at 27
Regional health departments announced five more deaths related to COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the state’s confirmed total to 27. Arlington Health District, which had 84 cases reported Sunday, the second-most in a locality in Virginia, reported its first two deaths from the coronavirus. The first patient was a 72-year-old with chronic medical conditions, who had […]
COVID-19 cases reach 890 on Sunday; 22 deaths in Virginia
Virginia now has 890 COVID-19 cases, the Virginia Department of Health reported Sunday in its 9 a.m. website update. Twenty-two people are reported dead from causes related to the virus, and there are 112 people hospitalized with symptoms, and 10,609 people have been tested. The number of positive cases jumped 151 from Saturday’s update of […]
First COVID-19 death reported in Western Tidewater Health District
A man in his 60s has died from respiratory failure in a hospital, Western Tidewater Health District announced Saturday in a news release. This is the district’s first COVID-19 fatality and likely the 19th death statewide, pending tests on two cases Friday afternoon. The patient had several underlying medical conditions, which exacerbated the effects of […]
Virginia COVID-19 cases nearly at 750
Amid warnings from health officials that Virginia could see COVID-19 cases spike tenfold in the next 10 days, Virginia now has 739 confirmed cases, as of Saturday, March 28, up from 604 the previous day. Ninety-nine people are hospitalized in the commonwealth and as many as 18 may have died from the virus, pending test […[...]
Avula: Virginia COVID-19 cases could jump 10X in next week and a half
Dr. Danny Avula, director of the Henrico County and Richmond health departments, warned Friday, “We need to be prepared that we might have a 10x jump [in the number of COVID-19 cases] in the next week and a half” in the state, which would overwhelm hospitals. Virginia has 604 cases of COVID-19 as of Friday, […[...]
Prince William Health District reports first COVID-19 death; Fairfax reports second death
A man in his 70s died Friday in a hospital from respiratory failure, Prince William Health District officials announced Friday evening. It is the first COVID-19 death recorded in the district, which includes Manassas and Woodbridge Fairfax County Health District reported its second coronavirus death, a man in his 60s who contracted the virus during […]
Two “presumed positive” fatal cases add to death toll at Henrico nursing home
A Henrico County longterm care facility, Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, reported two deaths of “presumed positive” COVID-19 patients in the past 24 hours, in addition to four deaths earlier this week of people whose test results had already come back positive. One man died at a hospital and the other at the center, according […]
Va. coronavirus cases hit 600+ mark
As Virginia saw its largest 24-hour increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases Friday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam called on President Donald Trump and the federal government to implement a “national solution” for supplying front-line medical workers and first responders with much-needed protective gear and medical equipme[...]
VCU Health physician runs COVID-19 drug trial
A VCU Health liver specialist and gastroenterologist is leading clinical trials for a possible drug treatment for COVID-19 patients. This week, Dr. Arun Sanyal began testing remdesivir, an antiviral medication previously used experimentally to treat the Ebola virus, on several VCU Health System patients with moderate to severe c[...]
Fourth resident dies from COVID-19 at Henrico nursing home
A fourth resident has died from COVID-19 at Canterbury Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, the long-term care nursing home in western Henrico County where 17 residents and six staff members have tested positive for the novel coronavirus over the past 12 days. Two patients from the center are receiving treatment at a regional hospital and 11 […]
First COVID-19 death reported in Loudoun; Va. toll now at 14
The Loudoun County Health Department reported its first COVID-19 death Thursday afternoon, bringing the total fatalities in Virginia to 14. The patient was a woman in her 70s who died from respiratory failure caused by the virus. She was hospitalized, according to a press release from the county. “We are saddened by the first confirmed […]