Updated Autopsy Reveals George Floyd Had Coronavirus: So What Now? How Will It Affect the Investigation?

The death of George Floyd has sparked international activity, from violent riots to Blackout Tuesday. An updated autopsy report by Medical Examiner Andrew Baker released that Floyd tested positive for COVID-19.

Will Floyd's name be added to the list of coronavirus deaths? No, the virus did not contribute to his death, but the report does go into detail regarding the complications of his diseases, blunt force injuries, and the toxicology report.

It was the discovery of sickled-appearing cells in many of the tissue sections that prompted Baker to evaluate Floyd's hemoglobin. On testing positive for coronavirus, Baker noted that 'This review found no evidence of antemortem sickling. The decedent was known to be positive for 2019-nCoV RNA on 4/3/2020. Since PCR positivity for 2019-nCoV RNA can persist for weeks after the onset and resolution of clinical disease.'

Floyd tested positive on April 3 yet remained asymptomatic to the virus. Coronavirus was not the final cause of death.

His natural diseases, which caused the heart attack that led to his death, included severe arteriosclerotic heart disease and hypertensive heart disease. His heart was too enlarged; 'Cardiomegaly (540 g) with mild biventricular dilatation.'

A left pelvic tumor was also revealed in the autopsy. Baker's evaluation of the left pelvic mass showed 'a carcinoid-like pattern,' suggesting an 'extraadrenal paraganglioma,' which rare tumor affecting nerve cells.

Multiple Injuries

Floyd died as a result of aggression triggering what led to a cardiac arrest. The injuries imposed by Officer Chauvin and two others were also explained in detail, including 'cutaneous blunt force injuries of the forehead, face, upper lip...shoulders, hands, elbows, and legs.' There were also patterned contusions of the wrists from handcuffs and 'mucosal injuries of the lips.'

Baker goes into detail of these injuries, such as a '14 cm maximum dimension pink-purple contusion with a discontinuous 8 cm maximum dimension dried red-black abrasion, left shoulder' where Chauvin pressed his knee against the victim's neck. Traces of abrasions were also found on his right shoulder, elbows, and right calf.

His wrists were deeply bruised from handcuffs causing superimposed abrasions. 'On the anterolateral left wrist, in a 3.5 cm long area, the injury transitions to a dried yellow-black abraded furrow before blending into the anterior wrist crease,' as well as multiple bruises on the opposite hand and fingers.

Initial findings of Floyd not dying from asphyxia were also explained as a layer by layer dissection of his neck showed 'no areas of contusion or hemorrhage within the musculature.' The state of his lungs was normal and only showed signs of resuscitation when the officers failed to find a pulse. However, his echoed cries of 'I can't breathe,' are still haunting and continue to echo in violent riots all across America.

Heart Attack & Homicide

Death by heart attack is backed up as Floyd's heart weighed 540 grams, where the 'upper limit of normal for body length is 510 g; the upper limit of normal for bodyweight is 521 g.' In a microscopic examination of the coronary arteries, cross-sections 'confirm the gross impression of atherosclerotic narrowing.'

Controversy over his drug may be put to rest as the traces of fentanyl and methamphetamine are also not the cause of Floyd's death. Antonio Romanucci, the family lawyer, said that 'whether or not he was intoxicated or had medications in his system is irrelevant to the cause of death, which is homicide, which is death by the hand of another.'