Coronavirus: Austin Reports 1st Death From Illness

AUSTIN, TX — Travis County health officials on Friday reported the first confirmed death in the area due to new coronavirus.

Austin Public Health officials described the patient as a woman in her 70s with underlying medical conditions. Citing the need to safeguard her family's privacy, officials added, no further details on her death would be released.

"We send our most sincere condolences to the patient’s family and friends,” Austin Public Health Director Stephanie Hayden said in a prepared statement. “Everyone must continue to do their part to protect our community and our loved ones.”

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Upon hearing the news, Austin Mayor Steve Adler also expressed his condolences while urging residents to adhere to physical distancing provisions — perhaps now in added homage to the memory of the unidentified community member succumbing to the respiratory illness. "Our hearts go out to the family as they grieve," the mayor wrote on Twitter. "We should all honor the loss of this life by doing everything we can to #SlowTheSpread by #StayingInside and limiting physical contact."

News of the first area death came the same day Austin Public Health officials updated the illness count in Travis County to 160 — 23 more than the 137 reported on Thursday. Also on Friday, health officials in neighboring Williamson County upgraded the count there to 34 after the emergence of five new cases for the respiratory illness now known as COVID-19.

Related stories:

• Coronavirus: Austin Illness Count Reaches 137 Patients
• Coronavirus: Williamson County Illness Count Grows To 34
• Coronavirus: Shelter-In-Place Ordered For Austin Area

The first death — and escalating rate of infection — comes at a time when city, county and health officials have pleaded with the public to stay home to mitigate potential spread of illness. COVID-19 — caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have triggered past outbreaks — is transmitted by respiratory droplets emitted from infected people when coughing or sneezing.

To ensure the practice of physical distancing as a measure to flatten the upward curve of illness, city and county officials implemented shelter-in-place orders throughout the region — in Austin and across Travis and Williamson counties. The order still allows for outings, but only the most essential: buying groceries, retrieving medicines from pharmacies, visiting banks and the like.

Death rates in the United States are highest among older populations with 80% of U.S. deaths occurring in individuals over the age of 65, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most positive cases in Austin-Travis County are occurring in people under 40 years old, which means a spread among our healthiest population will be deadliest for our at-risk population.

“We are facing a historic public health challenge,” added Dr. Mark Escott, Interim Austin-Travis County Health Authority. “We underscore the importance of personal responsibility to help stop the spread of this disease. Stay home except for essential activities and follow social distancing guidelines to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

As they have throughout the local onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Austin Public Health officials issued critical advice to those who may be afflicted with the virus. Those exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath, diarrhea, loss of smell or taste), should avoid the risk of spread at clinics and hospitals by using telehealth virtual visits or calling their health care provider, officials said.

Once contacted, physicians will determine if there is another plausible diagnosis with similar symptoms (i.e. influenza). Individuals without insurance or established healthcare providers experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should call CommUnityCare at (512) 978-8775.Additional COVID-19 deaths and cases will be reported on the newly unveiled Austin Public Health dashboard at www.AustinTexas.gov/COVID19.