AUSTIN, Texas — Another COVID-19 milestone was reached on Friday in Travis County, as the virus has become the fourth leading cause of death, according to Austin Public Health.
When looking at how people died in Travis County based on the most recent health department data from 2018, the novel coronavirus this year has now killed more people than strokes.
Cancer is the leading cause of deaths in Austin, followed by heart disease, accidents and now COVID-19. Through Friday, 353 people have died as a result of the virus.
Meanwhile, a KVUE News analysis of COVID-19 deaths in our 12-county viewing area shows whether a county has a large population or small one, the number of cases per 10,000 people are roughly the same.
But there are some notable exceptions: the death rate from COVID-19 in Lee County (Giddings) is two-and-half times greater than Travis County. Through Friday, there have been 7.5 deaths per 10,000 in Lee, 2.8 deaths per 10,000 in Travis.
Above average death rates were also found in Caldwell County (Lockhart): 7.1 deaths per 10,000, and in Fayette County (LaGrange): 5.9 deaths per 10,000.
There are no answers yet as to why those counties have been harder hit with the virus, though U.S. Census data shows a greater number of people age 65 and older living there, and the virus continues to take greater toll on older Texans. Still, other counties with older populations did not show the kind of death rates seen in Lee, Caldwell and Fayette counties.
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