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A 7-year-old African American boy died from coronavirus in Georgia. This makes him the youngest victim in the state, according to state health department data. He had no underlying health conditions.
After the young boy from Chatham lost his life, health officials are stressing that the virus should be taken seriously.
“Every COVID-19 death we report is tragic, but to lose someone so young is especially heart-breaking,” said Dr. Lawton Davis. Davis is the Health Director for the Coastal Health District.
“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,” said Davis.
This boy’s death isn’t the first to happen among children. At least seven minors have lost their lives in Florida alone. For example, a 9-year-old with no underlying health issues was the youngest to die in Florida. Not only that, but in Georgia, a second grader tested positive the next day after attending the first day of school.
So far, Georgia has reported 4,026 deaths and 204,895 cases of the virus. It’s a sad time when parents have to worry about their children wearing masks instead of kids lunch box ideas.
“Please watch out for each other. Wear a mask in public. Wash your hands often and stay home if you’re sick,” said Davis. “A community-wide crisis demands a community-wide response. And we all must do our part to keep each other safe.”
Related: Second Grader Tests Positive on First Day of School
In related news, a man who was placed under a coma due to coronavirus woke to find himself living in a nightmare. Scott Miller shared his home with his 76-year-old mother, Norma, and her 69-year-old partner.
On March 21, Miller recalled how his mother suffered a fall and he wasn’t able to help her up. She was taken by ambulance to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where they discovered she was positive for COVID-19. By the end of that week, Miller also tested positive for the disease.
Because his condition deteriorated so rapidly, he was placed in a medically-induced coma. Scott’s sister-in-law, Sharlene Miller, spoke to BBC about what happened.
“On the Sunday morning we got a call to say Norma had passed away. And we got a call from the consultant to say that Scott was very ill as well. Then Norma’s partner passed away the following Sunday.”
By the time Scott woke up, he’d been in a coma for thee weeks. He had no idea about what happened to his family until a nurse broke the sad news to him.
“When I came round, I just had a gut feeling that something had happened to Mom, and when the nurse told me it was just disbelief and shock. It was very hard,” said Miller.
“People need to understand, it’s a real killer. I don’t think people are really taking it seriously,” said Miller. “People need to know we’re not out of it yet. They need to know. Just be safe and secure and watch out.”
Related: Child Hospitalizations Surge 23% in Florida As Schools Reopen
