Elderly woman at Utah nursing home dies of the coronavirus

An elderly woman at a nursing home in Salt Lake City has died of the coronavirus, state health officials said Saturday.

The woman died Thursday, and three other patients are hospitalized, according to the state and county health departments. She was among eight people, including two staff members, who tested positive for the coronavirus at the facility.

Health officials said the woman who died was 85 or older. They did not identify the nursing home, which has 34 beds.

The first patient to be diagnosed has been hospitalized since March 27, and all of the residents have since been isolated in their rooms. Those who test negative for the coronavirus will be transferred to another facility, and the nursing home will now only admit patients with the coronavirus who no longer require hospitalization, health officials said.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older adults and people with health problems, it can cause pneumonia.

At least 1,428 people in Utah have the virus and eight people have died.