SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – The autopsy of a 7-year-old Chatham County boy, who is listed on the Georgia Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 deaths report, reveals the child drowned in the bathtub after having a seizure due to the coronavirus.
The autopsy states the boy “died of drowning in the bathtub at home due to a seizure due to infection with 2019 Novel Coronavirus (CoVID-19). Group A Streptococcal septicemia was a significant contributing condition.”
At the time of his death, the child was the youngest person to die from COVID-19 complications in the state. Now, a 1-year-old child from Cobb County is the youngest.
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SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – A 7-year-old boy has died of COVID-19 in Chatham County, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) reported Thursday.
This marks the youngest death in Chatham County.
The child has not been identified. Public health officials only provide details on a COVID-19 victim’s age, gender, race, county of residence and if they had underlying medical conditions in order to protect an individual’s privacy.
DPH reports the child was African American. He had no underlying medical conditions.
Chatham County Coroner Dr. Bill Wessinger tells News 3 the boy had a seizure in the shower and was rushed to the emergency room. He later died at the hospital.
Doctors have reportedly observed seizures in a small subset of patients with COVID-19.
“This child’s death is absolutely tragic, and we are praying for their loved ones in this difficult time,” a statement from Gov. Brian Kemp reads. His office says they are still working to gather information on the child’s death.
Wessinger says the boy attended a local church where he came into contact with two elderly members who tested positive for COVID-19. Those two individuals have also died.
Coastal Health District (CHD) Director Dr. Lawton Davis released the following statement on the child’s death:
Every COVID-19 death we report is tragic, but to lose someone so young is especially heart-breaking. We know that older individuals and those with underlying conditions are at higher risk of complications, but this is a disease everyone should take seriously. Please watch out for each other, wear a mask in public, wash your hands often, and stay home if you’re sick. A community-wide crisis demands a community-wide response, and we all must do our part to keep each other safe.
