The First U.S. Deaths: What You Need to Know about COVID-19 This Week

What's the news. The first U.S. deaths from COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) were reported in Washington State (including several in a nursing home that may be dealing with an outbreak) and several states, including New York, Florida, and Rhode Island, reported their first cases this week, according to a March 3, 2020, article in the New York Times. To help healthcare facilities prepare for potential outbreaks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on February 29, 2020, released Steps Healthcare Facilities Can Take Now to Prepare for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).