Singapore health officials announced the devastating news of the city’s first-ever case of a patient under the age of 12 dying due to Covid-19.
The Ministry of Health put out a statement last night saying that a 1-and-a-half-year-old boy died yesterday from an inflammation of the brain and two other viral infections — respiratory syncytial virus and enterovirus — caused by the Covid-19.
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) has been alerted that a one-and-a-half year-old male Singaporean who had Covid-19 infection has passed away on 27 June 2022,” the ministry wrote in a statement. “This is Singapore’s first death caused by Covid in a patient aged below 12 years old.”
The ministry said the baby had no prior health issues but was admitted to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital on the night of 21 June suffering from high fever and seizures. He was then admitted to the Children’s Intensive Care Unit and diagnosed with severe meningoencephalitis, which is a severe inflammation of the brain.
The baby had also tested positive for Covid-19 via the polymerase chain reaction test.
While vaccinations are currently only available for children 5 years old and older in Singapore, the ministry said they would “study” vaccines for those younger once they has been submitted by manufacturers.
The hospital has reached out to the baby’s family.
“MOH extends our deepest condolences to the patient’s family. We understand that KKH is in contact with the family to provide the necessary support,” the ministry wrote.
Singapore recently reported a spike in Covid cases over the last month, with an average of 5,800 cases daily for the past week. The ministry said most cases were Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants that are less lethal than previous strains. Despite this, the government has said that restrictions like masking indoors and holding large-scale events will stay in place.
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