A seven-year-old boy who attended a church in Savannah, Georgia where two elderly parishioners died of COVID-19 has become the youngest pe...
A seven-year-old boy who attended a church in Savannah, Georgia where two elderly parishioners died of COVID-19 has become the youngest person in the state to die of the virus.
The unnamed child, who was black, had no underlying health conditions, officials said.
Dr Bill Wessinger, coroner of Chatham County where the boy lived, told News 3 the child had a seizure in the shower and was rushed to the emergency room. He later died at the hospital.
The boy's death has been linked to Savannah Holy Church of God where there are nine reported cases of covid-19.
A seven-year-old boy died after attending church in Savannah where two elderly people died
Numbers of new coronavirus infections continue to rise across the United States
Wessinger said the seven-year-old boy came into contact with two elderly church members who tested positive for COVID-19.
Those two individuals have also died.
Doctors have reportedly observed seizures in a small subset of patients with COVID-19.
'This child's death is absolutely tragic, and we are praying for their loved ones in this difficult time,' said Brian Kemp, governor of Georgia.
Dr Lawton Davis, coastal health district director, said the child's death was 'especially heart-breaking'.
'Every COVID-19 death we report is tragic, but to lose someone so young is especially heart-breaking,' he said.
'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.'
Dr Lawton Davis, coastal health district director, said his death was 'especially heart-breaking
Georgia is among 21 states with outbreaks serious enough be placed in the 'red zone' by the White House Coronavirus Task Force, according to a federal report obtained last week by The New York Times.
Georgia reported 3,182 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday and 42 confirmed deaths.
Black people make up about a third of Georgia's population, but they account for about half of all deaths from coronavirus, according to data from the state department of public health.
Kemp, the governor, has encouraged people to wear face coverings but has balked at a mask mandate.
He sued Atlanta over a mask requirement and steps by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to roll back reopening plans because they conflicted with his orders.
Kemp also has resisted re-implementing tighter restrictions on businesses.
More than 2,000 medical professionals recently wrote Kemp pleading for the governor to enact a mask mandate and enact tougher measures to curb the spread.
Current hospitalizations have edged slightly lower than their peak of 3,200 on July 30 but remain above 3,000 - nearly four times higher than the low point in early June.
Deaths, which usually lag new cases by weeks, also have been climbing
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