Sept.
16. 2020
W.Va.
reports second inmate death related to COVID-19
Another
inmate death pending review
(*** This press release has been revised to correct the date of death to July 17. ***)
CHARLESTON,
W.Va. – Autopsy results show the July death of a Mount Olive
Correctional Complex inmate from an underlying health condition also involved
COVID-19 complications. A more recent Mount Olive inmate death, meanwhile, is
considered possibly related to the virus.
A 73-year-old male inmate who died July 17 in the prison’s infirmary had previously tested negative, but lab results
received after his death came back positive. At the time, his death was
attributed to his underlying health condition. His death certificate from the state
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, received Tuesday and based on autopsy
results, lists COVID-19 as a complicating factor.
The other Mount Olive inmate died Sept. 13
at an outside hospital. This 54-year-old male had an underlying medical
condition. He was hospitalized shortly after his COVID-19 test came back
positive in late August. The hospital’s preliminary assessment, received
Tuesday, attributes the cause to COVID-19. The Division of Corrections and
Rehabilitation is awaiting OCME findings.
DCR’s only other reported COVID-related inmate
death occurred Aug. 28. That 40-year-old male from the South Central Regional
Jail died while at an outside hospital. He had underlying medical conditions,
and health officials attributed the cause to complications from COVID-19.
DCR has been in communication with state
and local health officials regarding these cases. DCR
also continues to post testing updates daily on the Correctional Facilities page of West
Virginia’s main website for its COVID-19 response, coronavirus.wv.gov.
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