Autopsies reveal US virus deaths weeks before first reported fatality

San Francisco: Two people who died in California in early and mid February were confirmed on Wednesday as coronavirus cases -- weeks before the first reported COVID-19 fatality in the United States.

Autopsies on the two individuals who died at home on February 6 and February 17 showed they had succumbed to COVID-19, the Santa Clara County coroner said, after receiving confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Another person who passed away in Santa Clara County on March 6 also died of the disease caused by the coronavirus, the medical examiner-coroner said in a statement. "These three individuals died at home during a time when very limited testing was available only through the CDC," the coroner said.

"Testing criteria set by the CDC at the time restricted testing to only individuals with a known travel history and who sought medical care for specific symptoms." The coroner said they expected to identify more coronavirus-related fatalities in Santa Clara.

"As the medical examiner-coroner continues to carefully investigate deaths throughout the county, we anticipate additional deaths from COVID-19 will be identified." The earliest death attributed to the coronavirus was previously thought to be on February 26 in Washington state. Health experts say a shortage of test kits means the United States may be underestimating the extent of the virus outbreak.