Virus claims University of Washington pathology professor

SEATTLE (AP) — A longtime University of Washington pathology professor considered a titan in his field is among those killed by the novel coronavirus disease.

The school's Pathology Department announced Dr. Stephen Schwartz's death Wednesday, saying on Twitter that he “left a lasting imprint on our department, our university, and the broader scientific community.”

It was not immediately clear how or when Schwartz contracted the disease. He was not working with patients and did not contract it at work, university spokesman Brian Donohue said in an email.

Schwartz, who died Tuesday, had taught at the university since 1974. He co-founded the North American Vascular Biology Organization.

He graduated from Harvard University in 1963, obtained his medical degree from Boston University and came to the University of Washington for his residency in 1967.