Tarrant County Public Health reports two additional COVID-19 deaths

April 1, 2020 (Tarrant County, TX) – Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH) today confirmed that two Tarrant County residents have died after testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. One patient was an adult male from Hurst and the other an adult female from Fort Worth.

Tarrant County has now had a total of three confirmed COVID-19 deaths.

Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja said both patients had underlying health conditions but he declined to provide further details about the cases, citing HIPAA laws regarding confidentiality of health information. “We express our deepest sympathy to the families,” he said.

Tarrant County Public Health staff will investigate to determine who the patients may have come into contact with before they tested positive; close contacts may be appropriately isolated, monitored for symptoms and tested as needed. Tarrant County teams will work closely with the hospital administration to assess patients and staff as needed.

COVID-19 causes respiratory illness with cough, fever and shortness of breath and may lead to bronchitis and severe pneumonia. The United States has now over 189,000 reported cases of COVID-19.

“We want residents of Tarrant County to continue to be mindful of basic preventive measures to protect themselves from COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses,” Taneja said. These include:

• Stay home as much as possible.
• Practice social distancing by staying six feet away from others when you do go out; avoid gatherings of more than 10 people.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick. If you experience difficulty breathing, or persistent fever, call your primary care provider.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your sleeve.
• Frequently clean and disinfect touched objects and surfaces.
  

COVID-19 has now spread to more than 180 countries.

For more information go to coronavirus.tarrantcounty.com or call the Tarrant County Public Health information line, 817-248-6299, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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