HOUSTON – It was introduced Thursday {that a} native boy between the ages 10 and 19 is Houston’s first pediatric COVID-19 loss of life with out underlying well being situations, in keeping with the Houston Well being Division.
Well being officers stated the boy, who was unvaccinated, died in late July at a Houston hospital. Officers stated he examined optimistic for the virus however it’s unknown if he was contaminated with a variant of the virus.
The well being division is unable to offer additional identification of the kid as a result of privateness legal guidelines.
“On behalf of the Metropolis of Houston, I lengthen my condolences to the boy’s household throughout their time of grief,” Mayor Sylvester Turner stated. “The loss of life of a cherished one underneath any circumstance is heartbreaking, particularly when we’ve got the ability to sluggish the unfold and save lives. I encourage all eligible Houstonians ages 12 and older to get vaccinated and put on a face masks in massive crowds or areas the place you can not socially distance.”
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KPRC2 spoke to Dr. Diana Nguyen who works as a pediatric infectious illness specialist at UTMB. She says they’ve seen an uptick in instances up to now month.
“We’re seeing a rise in all ages underneath 18. It’s not simply 10 to 19. Proper now, 100% of sufferers that we’ve got underneath the age of fifty in our hospital are unvaccinated,” Dr. Nguyen stated.
Dr. Nguyen stated some children who check optimistic for the virus can have very delicate signs like a fever and cough throughout the first week, however their signs may worsen going into the second week.
“We’re seeing this lots. These kids are coming in after they’ve been sick for about 10 days and mainly what occurs is the virus causes overwhelming irritation within the physique,” she stated.
Dr. Nguyen stated there are indicators all dad and mom ought to search for if their little one doesn’t get higher.
“They’re more and more having worsening cough. They’re having problem respiration. They aren’t capable of drink and get extraordinarily dehydrated which may drop their blood pressures,” she stated.
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The division reported that the town’s six earlier pediatric deaths all had underlying well being situations. Dr. Nguyen stated dad and mom ought to contemplate getting their kids vaccinated after they flip 12.
“It has proven that the advantages of the vaccine that are to lower the chance of getting an an infection or lower the severity of an infection which far outweighs any potential threat,” Dr. Nguyen stated.
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