Vermont’s 2nd person with virus in critical condition

AP PHOTO/CHARLES KRUPA
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The second person to be diagnosed with COVID-19 in the state is in critical condition at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, the head of the hospital said Thursday.

Officials held a briefing a day after a preliminary test determined the patient, a Chittenden County man in his 70s, has COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Vermont’s first case is a patient who is hospitalized at the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington.

The sickest people with the disease are ending up in the hospital, but 80% of people who infected get mild illnesses. It’s likely there are others in the community who are infected, Medical Center President Dr. Steve Leffle said at a news briefing outside the hospital.

“It’s out there, broader than just the two people who are currently in the hospital,” he said.

For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.

Officials at the UVM Medical Center said privacy concerns prevented them from releasing more information about the patient.

Meanwhile, a number of colleges and universities across Vermont are shifting to remote methods of instruction rather than in-person classes starting next week, and many events throughout the state are being canceled or postponed.

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