Merced County reports first death related to coronavirus

The first death of a Merced County resident infected with coronavirus was reported Sunday by Merced County Department of Public Health.

The person is reported to have been under the age of 65 with underlying health conditions, according to a news release.

County officials did not specify where the man lived in Merced County. They did say the infection was community acquired, meaning it was not related to travel, though officials cannot pinpoint where he picked up the virus.

“The age of this individual highlights the fact that everyone is vulnerable to this disease,” said Merced County Public Health Director Dr. Rebecca Nanyonjo-Kemp in the news release.

Among the total infections in the county, 15 men and 14 women have tested positive.

Of the 29 cases in Merced County, seven were transmitted by person-to-person contact. Eight cases were due to community spread and 11 cases are travel related, according to county data. Three cases are still under investigation, according to public health.

Person-to-person spread happens between those in close contact, and is thought to be the main method of exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Community spread is when an individual becomes infected, but it is not known how or where they were exposed.

Of the Merced County residents who tested positive, 18 live on the east side of the county while 11 live on the county’s west side.

The Merced County Department of Public Health reported Sunday there were 29 confirmed coronavirus infections in Merced County — up from 27 a day earlier.

The California Department of Public Health reports that as of April 4, there were a total of 13,438 positive cases and 319 deaths in California. Nationwide, more than 335,000 people have been infected and more than 9,500 have died.

This story will be updated.

This story was originally published April 5, 2020 at 5:06 PM.