3 Siblings Found Dead on Property All Died of COVID, Coroner Says

A coroner in Pennsylvania said on Wednesday that three siblings who were found dead at a house in October have passed away due to COVID.

Cambria County coroner Jeff Lees has determined the cause of the death after autopsies, toxicology tests, and microbiology exams, the Associated Press reported.

All three siblings died five days before they were found at a house in Conemaugh Township in Somerset County on October 25. The autopsies carried out on October 26 didn't mention any trauma, according to WJAC TV.

"They were positive for COVID-19, the lungs were heavy and congested," Lees said, per the AP.

Lees couldn't confirm the siblings' vaccination status or whether they have been tested for COVID.

"They were people that were sick," Lees said. "Whether or not they were tested I don't know, I can't determine that at this point in time."

The siblings 68-year-old Ruth Kinsey was reportedly found dead on the kitchen floor and 70-year-old Richard Kinsey was found sitting on a chair in the living room. Meanwhile, 72-year-old Donald Kinsey was discovered in bed in a camper located on the property.

Authorities became aware of the siblings' situation after they were asked to check on them, the AP reported.

Newsweek contacted the Cambria County coroner's office, Somerset County and Conemaugh Township for comments.

Hospitals across the country have been burdened with a new COVID surge amid the spread of the latest Omicron variant discovered in late November. On Tuesday, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will deploy strike teams to help hospitals in the state facing a high number of COVID patients.

"The federal government has responded to Governor Wolf's request for additional support for Pennsylvania's health care system, and we are now meeting with them daily to finalize support plans," Keara Klinepeter, the state's acting secretary of health, said in a statement on Tuesday. "At this time, we do know that strike teams will be sent to the commonwealth and are working with our federal partners to identify and confirm exact locations and any additional resources."

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield said in the statement: "Any federal assistance will help relieve some pressure on the health system so there is capacity to treat people who need hospital care."

Pennsylvania hospitals have admitted 4,648 COVID patients as of Tuesday, 120 more patients compared to last week, according to PennLive.com.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania is reporting an average of around 9,000 cases per day, a 50 percent rise compared to the number of cases in the second half of last month. The state's department of health reported a daily average number of 9,979 COVID cases from December 20 to December 26.

COVID hospitalizations in Pennsylvania also increased by around 80 percent since November.