In the first known child death due to the novel coronavirus in the United States, a teenager who was previously reported to be in good health passed away. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti confirmed the same. The death of the youth from Lancaster comes amid widely held medical beliefs that the disease does not typically cause casualties in youngsters and those without associated co-morbidities.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. A study by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that those above the age of 80 had the highest fatality rate among all age groups—the CFR stood at 14.8 per cent. No deaths occurred in the group aged 9 years and younger, but cases in those aged 70 to 79 years had an 8.0 per cent CFR.
"A teenager in good health, succumbed to this virus," said Garcetti, reported AFP. "To the young people that are out there, this can hit you too. Know that your behavior can save a life, and can take a life. And that life could be yours," he added.
The victim's identity and sex were not specified. "COVID-19 does not discriminate by age, race or income level," said Los Angeles County public health director Barbara Ferrer, using the scientific term for the disease caused by the SARS-coV-2 virus, reported AFP.
A few days before, another youngsters fallen to the virus. A young, 26-year-old Pakistani doctor contracted the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) while treating pilgrims, who recently returned from Iraq and Iran, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. According to reports, nearly 800 people in Pakistan have been infected by the novel coronavirus. News agency PTI reported that Riaz was part of a 10-member team of the doctors tasked with screening patients returning from Iran via Taftan. He later started providing services to the suspected patients in isolation centres established for them in Gilgit.
Reports from Pakistan claimed that Riaz, after treating his patients went to bed on Friday, but couldn’t wake up the next day. He was first rushed to a military hospital and then to district hospital, where a CT scan machine was out of order. He was put on ventilator and died on Sunday.
An unverified video, purportedly of Riaz speaking about ensuring medical treatment for the pilgrims, has gone viral on social media. “We will see what the issue is. If the pilgrims need further treatment, they will be shifted to district hospital, but if they can be treated here, we will provide treatment to them here.” With the exception of a bare mask, he had no other protective equipment on.
