Maryland Coronavirus Deaths Triple In 2 Days, Cases Exceed 1,200

This article originally appeared on the Across Maryland Patch

MARYLAND — The number of deaths from the new coronavirus has tripled over the weekend, according to the latest information from Maryland health officials. Saturday began with five fatalities, which doubled to 10 by that night, and another five deaths were reported Sunday afternoon. That brings the known death toll from the coronavirus to 15 people in Maryland.

Maryland now has 1,239 confirmed cases of the virus, according to data released Sunday morning. Nearly 250 people tested positive for the new coronavirus in Maryland since the previous day.

The number of cases was increasing at "frightening paces," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. "We think it's going to be worse in two weeks, not better," Hogan said. "Around Easter, we’re going to be looking a lot more like New York."

About 56 percent of those who have been hospitalized in Maryland are under 60, Hogan said.

"It’s not exactly the way it’s been described," Hogan said of the virus on Fox News Sunday, referencing the initial guidance that those more prone to the effects of the virus were older adults.

People in their 20s, 30s and 40s were getting diagnosed with COVID-19, as well as babies as young as 4 months and 10 months old, the governor reported.

The Maryland Department of Health said Sunday evening that five deaths had been reported as a result of COVID-19:

  • Carroll County man in his 90s with underlying medical conditions

  • Howard County man in his 70s with underlying medical conditions

  • Prince George’s County man in his 30s with underlying medical conditions

  • Prince George’s County woman in her 50s with underlying medical conditions

  • Prince George’s County man is his 70s with underlying medical conditions

Howard County health officials reported Sunday afternoon two people in the county died from the virus — a 75-year-old man and a 90-year-old man, both of whom had underlying health conditions — which was inconsistent with the data released by the state. When asked about the discrepancy by Patch, a state health official said the Maryland Department of Health reports the cases that are confirmed by the agency's epidemiology team.

In sum, 277 people in Maryland have been hospitalized with the coronavirus, according to state health data, which also show 39 have been released from isolation as of Sunday and 12,354 people have tested negative for COVID-19 statewide.

Among the 1,239 cases of the virus confirmed by the state are 66 people from Pleasant View Nursing Home in Mt. Airy, of whom 11 have been hospitalized, officials reported Saturday night.

A more specific breakdown of cases by age group was released Sunday morning. The Maryland Department of Health has separated confirmed cases of those with the virus into 10-year age brackets. For example, those age 50 to 59 years old have the most confirmed cases, with 243 of the state's 1,239, accounting for nearly 20 percent of cases. Those 40 to 49 account for about 19 percent, with 241 cases reported.

In addition to the 247-case increase in one day, cases of coronavirus that were fatal doubled in Maryland. Coronavirus-related deaths jumped from five to 10 on Saturday, and five more deaths were reported Sunday afternoon, according to the Maryland Department of Health.

These were the individuals whose deaths were reported Saturday night:

  • Baltimore City woman in her 60s with underlying medical conditions

  • Baltimore City woman in her 80s with underlying medical conditions

  • Charles County man in his 50s

  • Prince George's County man in his 50s

  • Wicomico County woman in her 60s with underlying medical conditions

The first confirmed death from the new coronavirus in the state was in Prince George's County, Hogan said March 18.

Among the five previously reported coronavirus-related deaths in Maryland were three men in their 60s with underlying medical conditions — two Prince George's County residents and one Baltimore County man; a woman in her 40s from Montgomery County with underlying medical conditions; and an Anne Arundel County man over 80.

For updates on the coronavirus in Maryland, get Patch news alerts.

These are the jurisdictions where state health officials say confirmed cases have been reported as of Sunday, March 29:

Table from Maryland Department of Health.
Table from Maryland Department of Health.

"We’re going follow the doctors and the scientists," Hogan said on Fox Sunday Morning, as far as what to do to about the virus. "We don't see any way that we’re going to be opening up in a couple of weeks."

Coronavirus Cases By Age

  • 0-9 years: 4

  • 10–19 years: 21

  • 20–29 years: 165

  • 30-39 years: 203

  • 40–49 years: 241

  • 50–59 years: 243

  • 60–69 years: 191

  • 70–79 years: 117

  • 80-plus years: 54

Coronavirus Cases By Gender

  • Female — 634

  • Male — 605

For more information, visit the Maryland Department of Health's coronavirus page.

The CDC has put together a coronavirus disease situation summary for more about the illness.

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