The first minor has died in the United States from the coronavirus.
What We Know:
- On Tuesday, the U.S. had its first case of a minor under the age of 18 dying due to complications of the Coronavirus. The health officials did not reveal whether or not the minor had underlying health conditions. According to the Los Angeles County Health Department, the minor was one of three people who died from COVID-19 on Tuesday.
- Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer had this to say about the minors passing: “Tragically, one of the people who died was a person under the age of 18, a devastating reminder that COVID-19 infects people of all ages”. She also added, people between 18 and 40 years old make up 42% of positive cases.
- The news of the first minor passing from COVID-19 complications is troubling because some young people are not taking the spread of the disease seriously. Many students are still flocking to Miami for spring break. Brady Sluder was adamant about the coronavirus not stopping his fun, “If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I’m not gonna let it stop me from partying”.
- Experts have explained that younger people infected with COVID-19 often have mild symptoms or none at all. Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator for the White House’s coronavirus task force, warned millennials to be cautious, “You have the potential then to spread it to someone who does have a condition that none of us knew about and cause them to have a disastrous outcome.”
As of March 25, the state of California had 3,006 positive cases. 37 of those are under the age of 17. In total, California has lost 65 lives due to the coronavirus. To see how COVID-19 is affecting your state visit the CDC’s website.
