First Known Child Death Due to COVID-19 in The U.S. Shows That Young People Shouldn’t be Complacent, Too

By
Neha Joby
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Think you’re too young to be infected with Covid-19?

Well, unfortunately, this article proves that there is no such thing as “being too young”, as this deadly virus does not discriminate when it chooses its victims.

The death rate of Covid-19 is 4.47%, and most fatalities are those who already had pre-existing health conditions or those above 85 years old.

However, a recent death in Los Angeles, California, proves that anyone can die from Covid-19.

First Child Death From Covid-19 In The U.S.

L.A has just reported its first child death from the coronavirus, a teenager who lived in Lancaster.

The death was announced on Tuesday, 24 Mar, by Los Angeles County health officials. It is the first Covid-19 death in the U.S. of someone younger than 18.

Although studies conducted by experts led all of us to believe that older people are more vulnerable to the virus and young people are quite unlikely to contract it, clearly this incident has proven that it is not the case.

Dr Barbara Ferrer, head of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said that “Covid-19 does not discriminate by age, race or income level”.

She described the death as a devastating reminder to all of us that people of all ages could get infected by the virus.

No further information on the victim was given, like their age, gender or whether they had other existing health conditions.

“Each loss we experience in LA County is tragic, and we are sending our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones who’ve had to endure this tragedy,” said Dr Ferrer in a press release from the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department.

Studies Have Suggested That Young People Are Less Vulnerable

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S., of those admitted to intensive care, 36% were aged 45-64 years and 12% were aged 20-44 years.

There were previously no ICU admissions reported amongst people who were 19 years old or younger.

Image: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Other the fatality reported yesterday, there are only two other known cases of minors dying from the virus.

Both of these were recorded in China. One was an infant who had a pre-existing intestinal condition, while the other’s situation remains unknown.

A study published in one of our previous articles also suggested that young people had nothing much to worry about, as only 0.18% of teenagers die from the disease.

Image: Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine

However, it is always better to be safe than sorry and we urge all young people to practise social distancing and stay home whenever possible.

We certainly don’t want to be reporting any more deaths of people under the age of 19.

Young People Are Still Being Complacent 

However, we all know that young people can be some of the most complacent and stubborn people on the planet.

And I can vouch for that, being a rather stubborn teenager myself.

Due to being under the impression that they are not at risk of contracting the illness, many young people are refusing to adhere to government policies and practise social distancing.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has even spoken up about this issue and warned young people not to be complacent.

“Although older people are hardest hit, younger people are not spared,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “I have a message for young people: you are not invincible, this virus could put you in hospital for weeks or even kill you.”

Image: Tenor

Maybe we all need to treat this tragic incident as a wake-up call and start treating the Covid-19 situation more seriously.

After all, anyone can get it, anyone can die from it and I’m sure you wouldn’t want it to be yourself or your loved ones.

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Neha Joby
Email: [email protected]