Heart Attack Caused First Known US Coronavirus Death: Report

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — A Santa Clara woman who was first person in the United States known to have died from the new coronavirus suffered a massive heart attack caused by COVID-19, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Patricia Dowd, 57, died on Feb. 6., more than three weeks before what was previously thought to be the nations’ first COVID-19-related death.

A Washington man’s death on Feb. 29 was previously thought to be the nation’s first COVID-19-related fatality.

Santa Clara County previously believed its first coronavirus-related death to be on March 9.

The Chronicle obtained a copy of Dowd’s autopsy report, which said COVID-19 infection caused her heart to rupture.

Bay Area forensic pathologist Dr. Judy Melinek, who wasn’t involved in the autopsy but read the report, told The Chronicle “The heart has ruptured. Normal hearts don’t rupture.”

“This heart ruptured or tore open because of an infection of the heart muscle caused by the coronavirus.”

Read more in The San Francisco Chronicle.

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