A Johnson County man who had been confirmed to have COVID-19 has died while hospitalized, according to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH).

The man, who was older, had health conditions which put him at a higher risk of complications related to COVID-19. This is the first reported death associated with the pandemic in the state.

There have been 275 confirmed and 98 probable cases reported so far from across Wyoming.

Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with WDH, stated, “This is a sad development we hoped we wouldn’t see in Wyoming and we want this person’s family to know they have our sympathy...the advice we’ve been offering and actions we’ve taken ultimately come down to preventing as many serious illnesses and deaths connected to this disease as we can.”

Harrist has stated that anyone can get sick and has a chance of a serious illness with COVID-19, and anyone who is sick can pass it on to others. Symptoms reported with COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath.

“While we’ve learned most people who are infected are able to recover at home without medical care, we also know people who are aged 65 and older and people who have medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes and weak immune systems are more likely to experience complications and become severely ill,” she said.

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