An employee at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit has died due to the new coronavirus. They were in their 70s. The VA did not provide any other details as to underlying health conditions due to “privacy concerns.”
This employee is at least the second known medical professional to die of COVID-19 in Detroit.
The VA says that anyone who may have been in contact with the employee have been told to report their symptoms and have either voluntarily gone into self-quarantine or have been placed on quarantine by medical staff.
In a statement, the VA said:
VA has proactively implemented appropriate measures to ensure the safest health care environment for each Veteran, visitor and employee. These measures include multi-channel outreach to Veterans and staff, clinical screening at VA health care facilities, as well as protective procedures for patients admitted to community living centers and spinal cord injury units. Per CDC guidance and VA protocols, patients known to be at risk for a COVID-19 infection are immediately isolated to prevent potential spread to others.
As of yesterday, there are 2,858 confirmed positive cases in Detroit, and 101 deaths.
Another nurse, Lisa Ewald, who worked at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit also died this week at home after testing positive for COVID-19.
