When The Virus May Have Reached North AL

The shoals.

72 cases and 4 reported deaths.

New autopsy results show the first u.s. coronavirus deaths happened weeks before the previously known first death.

A woman who died february 6 in california had coronavirus.

That's about three weeks before the previously understood first coronavirus related death.

Our in-depth look now starts with the shifting time line on when coronavirus hit the u.s. waay-31 took our questions to local officials.

Ashley carter joins us after talking with coroners from north alabama.

Ashley.

>> corn 94s from across the region told me they are confident the number of coronavirus deaths in their counties is accurate.

They told me it would be nearly impossible to retest cases from months ago unless a forensic lab like the one i am standing in front of decides to retest old autopsy samples to determine if the cause of death was the coronavirus.

>> our numbers and data that we've had, we're not showing any type of reflections of that for our local area.

>> madison county core nor dr. tyler berry hill tells me that's why he didn't think there were any coronavirus related deaths before march.

But he said he can't rule out the possibility of one earlier.

>> there's always a possibility for pretty much anything on that aspect.

But the likelihood, and all the data and everything so far really makes it very unlikely.

>> dr. berry hill said even if he did suspect there were coronavirus related deaths before march, it would be nearly impossible to determine that now >> regaining access to the body and going through those procedures, it's pretty much not possible.

Some cases have been cremated and even if you could, the virus ability to collect it and have it tested this far out is not possible.

>> in the shoals, lauderdale county core nor butch tucker told me the same thing.

>> if they were buried you would have to go through the court process.

Have them exhumed and have the family go through that ordeal.

So i don't see where that would really help us any.

>> tucker said he's also confident they have an accurate number of reported deaths.

He said his office can look at how the virus spreads and get an idea of where cases originated.

>> as somebody let's say was positive in november, well, we would know that.

But again, it's been, you know, an extended period of time since anyone possibly could have died from the coronavirus and no one else has become positive from their association with them.

So i'm pretty confident that we haven't had any that we missed.

>> and sand mountain the deb cab county coroner told me they can only test somebody if an autopsy was performed.

That's because in those cases autopsy samples are taken after the autopsy but if the -- if that were to happen state officials would have to say that because these samples are held at