Covid-19 testing at Washington State U. in early September.
Like many rural areas throughout the U.S., Whitman County reported very few coronavirus cases in the pandemic’s early months, even through the summer. Then, in August, Washington State University students came back to town, causing a big spike. Now, cases have fallen among students — but the virus is showing up instead in older adults, including residents of nursing homes. Last month, Whitman recorded a grim milestone: its first Covid-19 deaths.
Image: ROBERT HUBNER, WSU
