Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 | Views: 10276

From the St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office



ST. TAMMANY SEES FIRST REPORTED COVID-19 DEATH



St. Tammany Parish Coroner Dr. Charles Preston learned last night that a patient at Ochsner Northshore in Slidell had expired from complications of COVID-19.



The hospital notified both Preston and state authorities Thursday evening that Howard Pickens, 63, of Waveland, Mississippi, died of respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19. Pickens, who had been hospitalized since March 13, had an underlying medical condition that made him more susceptible to the virus' more drastic effects, Preston said.



"We offer our condolences to Mr. Pickens' family in this tragic time," Preston said. "Let this case be a reminder that no community is immune to this illness, and that we all must take full precautions no matter how we're feeling and no matter our presumed risk of exposure. Hand-washing, coughing into one's arm, maintaining social distance and avoiding gatherings are essential to flattening the curve of COVID-19's spread."



Because Pickens died in the hospital with a clear diagnosis, no autopsy is necessary, Preston said.