7-year-old becomes Georgia’s youngest coronavirus death, state health officials say
A 7-year-old boy has died from the coronavirus, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported Thursday.
The Chatham County child was African-American and didn’t have any underlying health conditions, according to the department’s daily status report. It marks the youngest coronavirus-related death in the state.
“Every COVID-19 death we report is tragic, but to lose someone so young is especially heart-breaking,” Coastal Health District Director Dr. Lawton Davis said in a statement, according to WTOC.
“We know that older individuals and those with underlying conditions are at higher risk of complications, but this is a disease everyone should take seriously, “ Lawton said. “A community-wide crisis demands a community-wide response, and we all must do our part to keep each other safe.”
In May, a 17-year-old boy from Fulton County was the state’s first pediatric death and was listed as having an underlying “chronic condition,” McClatchy News previously reported.
As of Thursday, the state Department of Public Health reported over 204,800 cases and more than 40,000 deaths. Coronavirus-related hospitalizations are also up, surpassing 20,000, the data show.
The boy’s death comes amid new questions about COVID-19 in children. Early reports suggested kids were less susceptible to the highly contagious virus. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has pointed to a growing body of evidence that suggests children of all ages are vulnerable and may play an important role in the spread of coronavirus.
So far, at least 30 children age 14 and younger have died after contracting COVID-19, CDC data show.
This story was originally published August 6, 2020 at 5:11 PM with the headline "7-year-old becomes Georgia’s youngest coronavirus death, state health officials say."