A 15-month-old child was among 91 COVID-19 deaths announced Wednesday in Los Angeles County, setting a record for the youngest person to die of the virus in California, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“This is the youngest resident to die of COVID-19 since the pandemic began and a stark reminder that the virus can cause devastating outcomes among those most vulnerable, including young children not yet eligible for vaccinations,” Los Angeles County said in a statement.
No further details about the death were released.
“As we mark the two-year anniversary of the first case detected in L.A. County, I send my heartfelt condolences and wishes of healing to the family who suffered the devastating loss of their small child, and to the countless people who have lost a loved one to this pandemic,” Barbara Ferrer, the county public health director, said in a statement about the deceased 15-month-old.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 10.6 million children have tested positive for the virus, with over 2 million cases reported in the past two weeks, said the American Academy of Pediatrics Monday. As the new year began with a COVID-19 surge fueled by the omicron variant of the virus, children across the nation were being hospitalized in record numbers.
This week, Virginia also reported that an eighth child under age 10 in the state died from COVID-19.
Currently, COVID-19 vaccinations are available for everyone who is at least 5 years old and does not have a condition that prevents them from getting vaccinated. In Los Angeles county officials have been concerned that not enough people were getting booster doses of the vaccine or getting their younger children vaccinated.
However, COVID-19 cases in California hospitals may be starting to plateau, according to the Los Angeles Times. As of Tuesday, 15,279 coronavirus-positive patients were hospitalized statewide, a steady number compared to the previous week. Earlier in the month, hospitalizations in the state were growing by double-digit percentages.
Cases are also starting to plateau in other places, including Oregon and England, which lifted most COVID-19 related restrictions this week.
Scientists believe that the omicron variant – which accounts for more than 99 percent of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. – will not be the last variant of concern we see, and a new version of the variant has already been discovered. Therefore, vaccination efforts and mitigation protocols are still important to keep the virus at bay. Both Pfizer and Moderna are now working on vaccines specifically targeting the omicron variant.
Related
Related
