GREELEY, Colo. (AP) — Health officials in northern Colorado said Tuesday a man in his 70s has died from the new coronavirus.
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. Colorado’s first coronavirus death, which was reported Friday, was an El Paso County woman in her 80s who had underlying health conditions.
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner said Tuesday he has decided to self-quarantine after a meeting at his Washington, D.C., office with a constituent who later tested positive.
“While I am not showing any symptoms at this time, I have made the decision to self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution with an effective date of March 11th,” the Colorado Republican said.
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. About 1,800 people have been tested across the state, and at least 183 have the virus, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment.
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.