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A minor in New York City, currently the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., has suffered a coronavirus-related death, according to data from the city released on Monday.
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In its daily report on coronavirus deaths, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced the fatality of at least one resident 17 years of age or younger. The minor, who was not identified, had an underlying health condition — what the health department noted could include diabetes, lung disease, cancer, immunodeficiency, heart disease and asthma, among other conditions. No other details were provided.
The majority of deaths were reported in those 75 years old or older, followed by the 45 to 64 age group, according to Monday estimates. Overall, the city has seen more than 38,000 cases of the novel virus with at least 42 percent of cases – 16,028 – reported in those between the ages of 18 to 44.
The news comes after the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health last week announced a coronavirus-related death in a 17-year-old from Lancaster, Calif. But later the same day, the health department backpedaled, saying in an updated statement that his or her death “will require further evaluation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
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“Though early tests indicated a positive result for COVID-19, the case is complex and there may be an alternate explanation for this fatality,” health department officials said in the updated statement. If confirmed by the CDC, however, the fatality would mark the first known instance of a minor dying from the virus in the U.S.
Two days later, a 17-year-old in Louisiana from Orleans Parish also died from the novel virus, health officials said. And over the weekend, the coronavirus claimed the life of an infant in Chicago, marking the youngest virus-related death in Illinois to date.
The risk of death and severe illness from COVID-19 is greater for older adults and people with underlying health conditions. In most cases, according to experts, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, which can include fever and cough but also milder cases of pneumonia, sometimes requiring hospitalization.
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As of Tuesday morning, the novel coronavirus has infected more than 800,049 people across 178 countries and territories, resulting in over 38,714 deaths. In the U.S., all 50 states plus the District of Columbia have reported confirmed cases of COVID-19, tallying over 164,610 illnesses and at least 3,170 deaths.
Fox News reporters Alexandria Hein and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
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