Another death possible, pending review
Newsroom@DominionPost.com
CHARLESTON — Autopsy results show the July death of a Mount Olive Correctional Complex inmate from an underlying health condition also involved COVID-19 complications. A more recent Mount Olive inmate death, meanwhile, is considered possibly related to the virus.
A 73-year-old male inmate who died July 17 in the prison’s infirmary had previously tested negative, but lab results received after his death came back positive. At the time, his death was attributed to his underlying health condition. His death certificate from the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, received Tuesday and based on autopsy results, lists COVID-19 as a complicating factor.
The other Mount Olive inmate died Sunday at an outside hospital. This 54-year-old male had an underlying medical condition. He was hospitalized shortly after his COVID-19 test came back positive in late August. The hospital’s preliminary assessment, received Tuesday, attributes the cause to COVID-19. The Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation is awaiting OCME findings.
DCR’s only other reported COVID-related inmate death occurred Aug. 28. That 40-year-old male from the South Central Regional Jail died while at an outside hospital. He had underlying medical conditions, and health officials attributed the cause to complications from COVID-19.
DCR has been in communication with state and local health officials regarding these cases. DCR also continues to post testing updates daily on the Correctional Facilities page of West Virginia’s main website for its COVID-19 response, coronavirus.wv.gov.
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