ATLANTA — A Coweta County medical worker who died due to COVID-19 wasn't found until nearly 12 to16 hours after she died, according to the county coroner, and her young child was home the whole time.
Coweta County Coroner Richard Hawk said Diedre Wilkes worked as a mammogram technician at both Piedmont Newnan and Piedmont Fayette hospitals.
The 42-year old mother was found dead in her apartment at the Promenade at Newnan crossing last Thursday.
A police report indicates her sister called 911 after she couldn't get a hold of her, whom she talked to daily, and then went to her house to knock on the door.
"When (the sister) arrived at the apartment she knocked several times with no response and contacted police," the report says.
That's when first responders discovered Wilkes. Four officers, two firefighters and a sheriff's deputy were potentially exposed in the response, and are now under quarantine.
Piedmont Healthcare released a statement earlier this week saying they were saddened by the news that a colleague had died.
At that time, they said the cause of Wilkes' death was still "inconclusive," but that "as a cautionary measure, we have contacted the employees and patients who may have had contact with this employee in the days leading up to the colleague’s last day at work."
"Piedmont is providing these individuals with detailed information for self-monitoring and will offer COVID-19 testing to those who request it," the hospital statement said. "This employee did not work in an area treating known or suspected COVID-19 patients. Our thoughts and prayers are with the employee’s family during this difficult time."
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