7-week-old infant may be coronavirus pandemic’s youngest victim
No one, it seems, is immune to the deadly coronavirus, regardless of their age.
A 7-week-old Connecticut baby is believed to be the youngest person to die from the virus, according to the state’s governor.
In a Twitter post, Gov. Ned Lamont confirmed the infant’s death, which happened last week. Lamont also said a test confirmed Tuesday the infant had COVID-19.
It is with heartbreaking sadness today that we can confirm the first pediatric fatality in Connecticut linked to #COVID19. A 6-week-old newborn from the Hartford area was brought unresponsive to a hospital late last week and could not be revived. (1/3)
— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) April 1, 2020
The infant’s name was not released, but Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin later clarified the baby was 7 weeks old.
This is a virus that attacks our most fragile without mercy. This also stresses the importance of staying home and limiting exposure to other people. Your life and the lives of others could literally depend on it. Our prayers are with the family at this difficult time. (3/3)
— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) April 1, 2020
Meantime, nursing homes across the country have been in lockdown for weeks under federal orders to protect their frail, elderly residents from coronavirus, but a wave of deadly outbreaks nearly every day since suggests the measures, including a ban on visits and daily health screenings of staffers, either came too late or were not rigorous enough.
Recent outbreaks in Tennessee, New Jersey, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland have pushed the death toll at the nation’s nursing homes to at least 450 and highlight the biggest gap: Screenings of doctors, nurses, aides and other workers do not involve actual testing but the taking of temperatures or asking health questions that still allow infected, asymptomatic people to slip through.
While cases in infants are typically mild, doctors are still working to understand the virus, including how it affects children, according to Today. While the symptoms of respiratory distress, a cough and fever are similar, doctors have reported COVID-19 cases in which children experience stomach distress.
