A baby from Chicago, US, has passed away after being tested positive for coronavirus. The Cook County infant is the first known death of an child in the US. JB Pritzker announced the child's death on Saturday, March 28.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr Ngozi Ezike said that an investigation is underway to understand the actual cause of the child's death. The death of a child under the age of one was previously reported in China. Several other infants have tested positive shortly after birth but research suggests that the number of cases constitutes a very small number.
The risk of death is much greater in the elderly when compared to children. Even people with an underlying health issue is also said to be vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Most cases showcase mild or moderate symptoms but the vulnerable category can be affected seriously.
Cases in Illinois
Illinois has 3,491 confirmed coronaviruses cases making it the eighth state to have the highest number of cases in the US. On Saturday alone there have been 13 fatalities and a total of 47 related deaths. The state's Department of Public Health Director said that this is a wake-up call. The Director has asked the people to do all they can to prevent the cases in the state. China's case of death of the infant was because the child had a bowel blockage and organ failure. The infant died after four weeks of being hospitalised.
The journal of Pediatrics noted that out of the 2,100 infected children in China and noted one death of a 14-year-old. The study also found that only six percent of the children was seriously ill. The mild symptoms viewed can include cough and fever. Among the deaths announced in the state on Saturday, there was also a case of an employee from the Illinois Department of Human Services. In Illinois, there were 465 cases reported on Saturday alone. So far there have been more than 113,000 cases in the US.
