CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi - Nueces County Public Health District received notification today of the death of a young boy under the age of 10 related to COVID-19.
The boy had been diagnosed with COVID-19, hospitalized, treated and released prior to his death.
The cause of death is under investigation. He was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes unbeknownst to his family.
This is the first youth fatality related to COVID-19 in Nueces County since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
Further information is not being released for privacy and confidentiality reasons.
The variant of the virus which caused this death has yet to be determined.
Currently, the Delta variant is the predominant strain of the COVID-19 virus causing infections. The Delta variant appears to be worse than other strains of coronavirus.
Doctor say it spreads more easily than other known variants, which means it’s more contagious than other variants. Also, Delta may put infected people at a higher risk of hospitalization than other variants.
Children up to 11 years old are more at risk of contracting Delta and other variants because they are not yet eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Anyone who is old enough and able to get the vaccine should do so to protect those who are unable to get it.
Because the Delta variant spreads easily and causes more severe symptoms faster, parents should monitor their children for symptoms and seek medical care early as a precaution.
Clinicians should also remain vigilant, patients about the risks of COVID-19 and how to protect themselves and prevent gaps in care for the more vulnerable population.
