A 17-year-old Fulton County boy has died from complications of COVID-19, a state official said Sunday. He is the youngest known fatality in Georgia connected to the new coronavirus.
The virus, which has killed more than 1,820 people in Georgia, is typically more severe in adults than in children.
The teen was not identified, but he is listed on the Georgia Department of Public Health website as having had a pre-existing condition. Nancy Nydam, a spokeswoman for DPH, confirmed the death. No other information about the teen was immediately available.
Prior to Sunday, the youngest known fatality in Georgia linked to the disease was a 22-year-old woman from Muscogee County in West Georgia.
Children typically have mild symptoms of COVID-19 or may not have symptoms at all. In recent weeks, state health officials have warned about an inflammatory condition in children that is suspected to be linked to the coronavirus.
Last week, DPH said nine children had been confirmed to have MIS-C, or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children.
Nydam said in an email that DPH had not confirmed any deaths from MIS-C in Georgia to date.
The symptoms include prolonged fever, lasting four or more days; very red eyes; a rash spread across the body; reddening or peeling on palms and soles of feet; abdominal pain; and vomiting or diarrhea.
Staff writer Helena Oliviero contributed to this report.
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