The governor of Connecticut delivered heart-breaking news Wednesday about the COVID-19 pandemic and said an infant girl here in the state died of coronavirus.
The 7-week-old baby girl was from Hartford, according to Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin.
The unidentified child was unresponsive when taken to the hospital recently and could not be revived. The infant tested positive during a postmortem exam for the virus that causes COVID-19, said Josh Geballe, the governor’s chief operating officer.
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin confirmed the baby was from Hartford.
"Our heart breaks for that family," Bronin said.
Though it was initially reported that the girl was six weeks old, the mayor's office confirmed the child was seven weeks old when she passed.
Dr. James Gill, the state’s chief medical examiner, said the infant had no other known medical conditions, the Associated Press reported. An autopsy has been done but more tests are needed before a cause of death can be determined, he said.
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The mayor said the disease can impact people, no matter what age.
"We have also seen that this disease can be tragically unpredictable and fatal to people of any age," Bronin said.
He would not confirm what hospital the baby was brought to for treatment.
Lamont said the baby is one of the youngest lives lost anywhere due to complications relating to COVID-19.
"This is a virus that attacks our most fragile without mercy. This also stresses the importance of staying home and limiting exposure to other people. Your life and the lives of others could literally depend on it. Our prayers are with the family at this difficult time,” Lamont tweeted.
Children have made up a small fraction of coronavirus cases worldwide. A letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine by Chinese researchers last month reported the death of a 10-month-old with COVID-19. The infant had a bowel blockage and organ failure and died four weeks after being hospitalized.
Separate research published in the journal Pediatrics traced 2,100 infected children in China and noted one death, a 14-year old. The study found less than 6% of children were seriously ill.
The state of Connecticut had 3,1557 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 85 deaths.
aEditor's Note: The governor originally said the baby was six weeks old.
