The report claims Floyd tested positive for the novel coronavirus on April 3 initially.
An autopsy report released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office on Wednesday revealed George Floyd had the coronavirus. The report claims Floyd tested positive for the novel coronavirus on April 3 initially, but still tested positive after his death at the hands of police on May 25. The 20-page report also noted Floyd’s lungs appeared healthy.
“Since PCR positivity for 2019-nCoV RNA can persist for weeks after the onset and resolution of clinical disease, the autopsy result most likely reflects asymptomatic but persistent PCR positivity from previous infection," the report noted.
As of Thursday, Hennepin County had 7,540 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 565 deaths.
A previous autopsy released by the medical examiner confirmed Floyd’s heart stopped while police were restraining him. An independent autopsy released by the Floyd family earlier this week found that Floyd died from George Floyd from asphyxia caused by "severe pressure" on his neck and back from Minneapolis Police Department officers pinning him to the pavement.
Both autopsies classified his death as a homicide.
Floyd told officers arresting him for an alleged forgery call numerous times that he could not breathe as since fired officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee pressed into Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, which was captured on video. Chauvin was initially charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
After more than a week of protests, Chauvin had his charge upgraded to second-degree murder, according to the state attorney general. Charges against three other ex-officers involved, Tuo Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, were also filed. They are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
"We strongly believe these developments are in the interest of justice for Mr. Floyd, his family, this community and our state," said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison at a press conference. "George Floyd mattered. He was loved, his family was important and his life had value," Ellison said. "We will seek justice for him and for you and we will find it."
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