Houston Reports First COVID Death in Healthy Child

Although they had other pediatric deaths, this was the first without underlying health issues

Houston health officials have confirmed the first COVID pediatric death of a youngster who had no underlying health issues.

The Houston Health Department (HHD) announced that a man between the ages of ten and 19 died in a hospital in late July. “Although he tested positive for COVID-19, it is currently not known whether he was infected with a variant of the virus,” the statement said. The young man has not been vaccinated.

There have been six other COVID pediatric deaths in Houston, but this was the first that did not have underlying health issues.

“This tragedy is a reminder that children, even without underlying health issues, can become seriously ill and die from COVID-19,” said Dr David Persse, city of Houston marketing director in the statement. “Getting the vaccine isn’t just about protecting yourself, it’s also about protecting all of your loved ones, especially your family, against serious illness and death.”

The news comes as cases of the coronavirus in children have increased as students return to school. The week ending Aug. 19 saw more than 180,000 cases in children, according to a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association. “Since the start of the pandemic, children have represented 14.6% of the total cumulative cases. For the week ending August 19, children accounted for 22.4% of the reported weekly COVID-19 cases. “

Hospital admissions for children are at their highest level since the United States began tracking pediatric cases a year ago, peaking at an average of 303 new admissions per day over the past week on August 22, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We only have maybe six or eight weeks of data on the delta, so this picture will continue to evolve over time,” said Sunitha Kaiser, a hospital pediatrician at the University of California, San Francisco. “But from what we can see so far, it does the same in our body in terms of infection functioning, penetration, and severity and symptoms similar to previous strains.”

The Pfizer vaccine is currently licensed for children 12 years of age and older, and the CDC and several other health organizations are urging anyone eligible and able to receive the vaccine to get it.

“The CDC recommends that anyone aged 12 and over get the COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves against COVID-19,” the organization said on its website. “Widespread immunization is an essential tool to help stop the pandemic. “

“On behalf of the City of Houston, I offer my condolences to the boy’s family as they mourn,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement. “The death of a loved one, regardless of the circumstances, is heartbreaking, especially when we have the power to slow the spread and save lives. I encourage all eligible Houstonians ages 12 and up to get vaccinated and wear a face mask in large crowds or in areas where you cannot socially distance yourself. “