Health district cites obesity, asthma, diabetes for higher death rates in Benton County

KENNEWICK, Wash.-- The Benton-Franklin Health District reported another positive 15 cases of COVID-19 in the bi-county area Thursday, bringing the total number of cases to 1,162 since the virus was first detected in the community in March.

Two new deaths were also reported, including a Benton County woman in her nineties and a Franklin County man in seventies, both with underlying health conditions.

The bi-county death toll is now 64.

Forty COVID-19-positive patients are currently hospitalized for treatment.

"We have some risk factors in our community," said Rick Dawson with the Benton-Franklin Health District during a press conference Thursday morning. "We have higher rates of obesity in our community than in other places in the state of Washington. We have higher asthma rates, and we have higher diabetes rates. All of those are significant risk factors of COVID-19."

Health officials in Walla Walla County are reporting one additional case of coronavirus, for a total of 95 positive cases.

Just one person in Walla Walla County has died from complications related to the illness.

The Walla Walla County Department of Community Health also reports that while 3 patients are currently hospitalized, 54 people have gone at least seven days symptom-free, are considered to have recovered from the illness.

Walla Walla County added one more positive case to their numbers.

One more person tested positive for coronavirus in Murrow County… bring the county-wide total to eleven. The latest case was connected to a previous positive case.

There are have been no COVID-19-related deaths in Morrow County.

Overall, officials with the Benton-Franklin Health District say it appears that social distancing measures are working to slow the spread of the virus.

"We see consistently decreasing numbers of cases so that it looks like we may have a handle on spread," Dawson said. "Are we there yet? We're not. But, we're working toward that."