North Carolina, 6, dies of complications from COVID-19

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (WTVD) – A community in North Carolina is in shock after the death of a 6-year-old from COVID-19.

Ethan Govan was a bright and loving first-grader from the Charlotte area. The virus took its life on September 19.

“He loved to have fun. He didn’t let anything stop him or slow him down. He was just a very loving and lovable boy,” his mother Sharon Huff said in an interview with the WSOC.

Govan attended Stoney Creek Elementary School in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District.

“There are situations where children are exposed who do not have the capacity to fight this and we can see from what happened last week how dangerous this virus can be,” said Gibbie Harris, Mecklenburg County Public Health Director.

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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools have students who take face-to-face classes and require everyone to wear face masks indoors.

Harris said 30% of all COVID-19 cases are now in children. Still, she supports the area’s schools’ COVID-19 policy – running in-person classes and demanding face masks.

Harris said Govan’s story is important and highlights the value of everyone getting vaccinated as soon as they are eligible and properly wearing a mask.

“It’s incredibly unfortunate in our community, and we all need to be part of the solution to prevent things like this from happening again in the future,” Harris said.

As Govan’s mother prepares to bury her child, she hopes her classmates will help keep her memory alive.

“Just remember how much fun he had – and how much he loved life – and let it live through them,” she said.