Virginia has reported its first death of a child under 10 years old from COVID-19 complications, according to state health officials.
The Virginia Department of Health said the child, who lived in central Virginia, died from a combination of coronavirus and a chronic health condition.
“Our heartfelt condolences are extended to the family and friends of this child,” said Dr. Norman Oliver, the state’s health commissioner, in a news release. “While fewer cases of COVID-19 are reported in children compared with adults, children are not immune to the disease.”
Oliver went on to say that there have been more than 80 deaths from COVID-19 nationwide for children under 5 years old., and 180 deaths for those from 5 to 17 years old.
According to VDH’s dashboard, there have been over 24,000 reported cases of coronavirus in those aged 0 – 9 years of ages and 192 hospitalizations from that age group. The child’s death will be reflected on the state’s dashboard on Friday.
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Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.
