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Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009

Autopsy unable to pinpoint cause of death for Mercer student

An autopsy was unable to determine the cause of death for a 19-year-old Mercer University student found dead in his dorm room Tuesday, Bibb County’s coroner said today.

Ronald Quashie, 19, of Ellenwood went to The Medical Center of Central Georgia Sunday night with flu-like symptoms - a sore throat, chest discomfort, chills and congestion. He was treated and released, Coroner Leon Jones said.

A roommate found him dead at about 7 p.m., Jones said.

Jones said blood samples are being sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for further testing.

“He will be tested for the swine flu,” Jones said. “He’s going to be tested for everything.”

It will be two to three months before the results are returned, he said.

Jennifer Jones, spokeswoman for the North Central Health District, said the district hasn’t had any recent confirmed swine flu deaths. The district has reported three deaths since the pandemic began.

The last confirmed H1N1-related death in the district was in September.

According to his Facebook page, Quashie was a 2008 graduate of Chamblee High School. The Mercer Web site lists him as a student at the school of education.

Staff writer Joe Kovac Jr. contributed to this report.