GREELEY – Health officials in northern Colorado say a man in his 70s has died from the new coronavirus.
In its announcement Tuesday, the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment did not release any other information about the man, whose death is the second reported in the state related to the virus.
“Protecting our high-risk populations from COVID-19 is imperative,” said Dr. Mark Wallace, executive director of the health department. “We are strongly suggesting people practice social distancing in order to prevent future COVID-19 deaths and protect our workforce. Every single reduction in the number of contacts you have per day will have a significant impact on the virus’s spread.”
Health officials say they expect to see an increase in positive cases over the next few days as the state works through a backlog of test results.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
