Coronavirus: Georgia boy, 7, youngest in state to die from COVID-19

SAVANNAH, Ga. — A 7-year-old boy in southeast Georgia has died of coronavirus, Georgia Department of Public Health officials reported Thursday.

The boy, who lived in Chatham County, is the youngest person in Georgia to die from COVID-19, WSB-TV reported.

According to the report, the child was African American, and the presence of one or more additional conditions was not a factor in his death, WSAV reported.

According to the Coastal Health District, the only information released about a COVID-19-related death is the person’s age, gender, race, county of residence and whether the person had underlying medical conditions, WTOC reported. Those measures are taken to protect the person’s privacy.

“Every COVID-19 death we report is tragic, but to lose someone so young is especially heartbreaking,” Coastal Health District Director Lawton Davis said in a statement. “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.”

The boy is the second Georgia juvenile to die from the virus. A 17-year-old from Fulton County, who had underlying conditions, also died from the coronavirus, WSB reported. The Fulton County victim was also an African American.

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported 3,250 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state on Thursday, WTOC reported. Georgia’s state total now stands at 204,895 confirmed cases since the pandemic began, with 4,026 coronavirus-related deaths reported, the television station reported. There were 42 new confirmed deaths in the state Thursday.

Cox Media Group