American Samoa has recorded a second Covid related death. A 55-year-old woman who was admitted to the LBJ Hospital’s Covid-19 Ward on Wednesday, March 23, passed away over the weekend.
Talanei reports, the woman was unvaccinated and had several underlying health conditions.
Dr Akapusi Ledua explained that the woman who was diagnosed to have end-stage kidney disease was first seen at the ER tent on Monday, March 21st for fever, chills, weakness, and left shoulder pain.
Despite being told of the seriousness of her health conditions and the need to be admitted she signed against medical advice to go home.
She returned to the hospital on Wednesday, March 23 with shortness of breath which required mechanical breathing support in the ER. She also tested positive for covid-19.
Dr Ledua said the patient was no longer responding to verbal commands on arrival at the covid tent. After further discussion with her family, they agreed for her to have dialysis.
She was given IV Monoclonal for her covid treatment and IV Antibiotics for her infection before being admitted to the covid ward.
However, she continued to be in a very serious state and could not have dialysis. She never recovered until she died Friday.
Since October of last year, the woman had been advised to undergo dialysis treatment but she refused.
“She died as a direct result of those multiple co-morbid conditions – end stage kidney disease with complications, sepsis, heart failure, diabetes, hypertension,” Dr Ledua explained. “Covid-19 is not a direct cause but a contributing factor.”
In the meantime, the number of new community Covid cases for American Samoa released over the weekend, is now 3,217, while 438 have recovered.
DOH continues to encourage the community to get vaccinated if they have not done so, or get their booster shot if they are eligible to help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, or death.
