7-year-old Chatham County boy dies from COVID-19, health officials confirm
A transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2, also known as the 2019 novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient in the United States. Note the crown-like spikes on the outer edge of the virus, hence the term "coron (NIAID-RML)
CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. - A 7-year-old boy has become the youngest person in Georgia to die from COVID-19, health officials confirmed Thursday.
The Georgia Department of Public Health reports the 7-year-old African American male from Chatham County had no underlying of chronic conditions.
“Every COVID-19 death we report is tragic, but to lose someone so young is especially heart-breaking,” said Dr. Lawton Davis the director of the Coastal Health Department wrote in a statement Thursday. “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.”
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While the death was reported on Thursday, it was not immediately clear when the death occurred.
“To protect an individual’s privacy, the only information we release about a COVID-19-related death is the person’s age, gender, race, county of residence, and if the individual had underlying medical conditions,” Dr. Lawton wrote.
WTOC reports the Chatham County Coroner said the boy died between 10 and 14 days ago. The coroner said the boy tested positive for COVID-19, but autopsy results from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is pending due to the toxicology report.
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This news comes on the same day the Georgia Department of Public Health reported the number of deaths from the coronavirus in the state has surpassed 4,000.
“Please watch out for each other, wear a mask in public, wash your hands often, and stay home if you’re sick,” Dr. Lawton wrote. “A community-wide crisis demands a community-wide response, and we all must do our part to keep each other safe.”
State health officials said the previous youngest person to die from the virus was a 17-year-old from Fulton County.
WTOC contributed to this report
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