West Virginia sees 2 more coronavirus deaths, up to 18 total

Two more people in West Virginia have died due to the coronavirus, bringing the state’s confirmed death count to 18, officials reported Saturday.

According to the state Department of Health and Human Resources, the two deaths are an 83-year old man and an 88-year old woman from Jackson County, both affiliated with a nursing home.

State health officials have confirmed that 825 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in West Virginia out of about 19,800 completed test results.

Gov. Jim Justice on Friday ordered that residents and staffers of all nursing homes in the state immediately be tested for the coronavirus.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks, and the overwhelming majority of people recover. But severe cases can need respirators to survive, and with infections spreading exponentially, hospitals across the country are either bracing for a coming wave of patients, or already struggling to keep up.

(Image Credit: AP)