• Santa Clara County, California, announced on Tuesday that two people who died in their homes in February were later confirmed positive for the new coronavirus.
• This data suggests that the first known coronavirus-related United States death occurred at least three weeks earlier than previously thought.
• The US recorded its first official death from COVID-19 on February 28.
• Santa Clara County explained in its press release that the newly confirmed deaths were not detected sooner because the individuals “died at home during a time when very limited testing was available only through the CDC.”
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Santa Clara County, California, announced on Tuesday that two people who died in their homes in February tested positive for the new coronavirus, suggesting that the first known US death due to COVID-19 occurred weeks earlier than previously thought.

In a statement on Tuesday, officials from Santa Clara County said that the medical examiner tested three individuals who died in their homes for coronavirus. One person died on February 6, another on February 17, and a third on March 6.

According to the statement, the tests were sent to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, who confirmed on Tuesday that all three patients tested positive for coronavirus.

The US initially recorded its first official death from COVID-19 on February 28 – a man in his 50s in Washington state. The new data suggests that what may be the country’s first death occurred in Santa Clara County three weeks prior.

California confirmed its first coronavirus death on March 4 – an elderly patient in Placer County, near Sacramento. Santa Clara County initially recorded its first death on March 9 – a woman in her 60s.

Santa Clara County explained in its press release that the newly confirmed COVID-19-related deaths were not detected sooner because the individuals “died at home during a time when very limited testing was available only through the CDC.”

They explained that at the time, the CDC has restricted COVID-19 testing only to individuals with a known travel history or those who reported specific symptoms associated with the illness.

“As the Medical Examiner-Coroner continues to carefully investigate deaths throughout the county, we anticipate additional deaths from COVID-19 will be identified,” the statement said.

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