(Newser)
– A 71-year-old nursing home patient died Sunday while waiting in line at a coronavirus testing center in Utah. A caregiver and driver from Mountain View Health Services in Ogden took him to the North Ogden Clinic test site, operated by Intermountain Healthcare, which gave him a waiting time of less than 45 minutes. That was significantly better than on other days, when the wait lasted several hours, for Newsweek. But by the time the patient was seen, it was unresponsive and cold to the touch, according to KUTV.
“The caregivers at the assessment centers acted quickly and followed the correct procedures by calling 911 immediately, but EMS workers were unable to revive the individual,” said Intermountain. It is unclear whether the patient died of coronavirus-related causes. Apparently the man was being examined before surgery, says North Ogden Mayor Neal Berube. Newsweek. “Until an autopsy is performed, we should probably not jump to conclusions,” he adds. Health officials say people who are seriously ill should call 911 or visit a hospital, rather than a driving test center. (Read more coronavirus stories).
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