Two La Plata County residents who died earlier this month and were tested for the coronavirus did not have the disease, Coroner Jann Smith said.
A man in his mid-40s and a woman in her late 30s, who both died in separate instances, were tested for the virus as a precautionary measure, but Smith said Friday those tests came back negative.
The man had visited an urgent care center earlier this month for complications with pneumonia and went home. A few days later, he visited Mercy Regional Medical Center with more severe symptoms and died.
Smith said the man’s cause of death was determined as sepsis attributable to pneumonia, when the body’s response to an infection results in death. He also suffered from diabetes, she said.
The woman, who suffered from asthma and respiratory problems, was found dead in her home near Lightner Creek. Tests for coronavirus came back negative, but an exact cause of death remains unknown, Smith said. Authorities are awaiting a toxicology report.
jromeo@durangoherald.com