Coronavirus: First Infant Death in Illinois

On Saturday, the state governor said in a press conference that an infant, who was tested positive of the COVID-19 died in Illinois. Among the infants who contracted the coronavirus, this is the first recorded death in the US. 

(Photo : pexels/Polina Tankilevitch)
An infant in Illinois who was tested positive of the COVID-19 died.

Investigation on the Infant Death Case

The Illinois Department of Public Health director, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, said that they would undergo a full investigation to determine the cause of the baby's death. She said that it was a hard day for her to report 465 new cases and 13 additional deaths, which includes the tragic death of an infant. 

On Sunday, Dr. Ezike attended another press conference and said that the investigation of the reported baby's death is still ongoing. She said that the investigation is still fresh, and they are gathering data as of that moment. She understands that it is the people's greatest concern, and they want to allow appropriate processes so that they can provide the best information. 

Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker is telling the parents that the infant's death is a rare occurrence according to the scientific papers. But he does not mean that all the other babies are safe; however, he reassures the people that chances of it happening again are very low because it does not happen that often. He also said that they are investigating whether the younger than one-year-old has other underlying health issues besides the coronavirus disease

A state employee, from the Department of Human Resources, was one of the deaths reported on Saturday, bringing the total to 2,514 deaths in the country, 47 from Illinois, as of writing. 

A news release from the IDPH said that the age of cases ranges from below one to 99 years old. 

Pritzker said on Saturday that he knows how hard the news can be, especially about a child that young. He admitted that he was shaken upon hearing of the sad news, and he feels it is just appropriate for anyone to grieve today. 

Illinois Implements Stay-at-Home Order

On March 21, Illinois implemented a stay-at-home order. He said that the government has been working to obtain the needed medical equipment for the front-line workers and upgrade its testing capabilities. 

Dr. Ezike said that they want everyone in Illinois to take the coronavirus seriously. For those who have not been paying attention, maybe this infant incident is your wakeup call. 

Even though the virus has caused several deaths in adults, some children who tested positive with COVID-19 have also died. Despite being rare, at least one 10-month-old baby in Wuhan died in a hospital after being diagnosed, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. 

Pritzker said everyone should grieve for the family of the state employees and for the many people who have died of the virus, young and old. He added that every person should also grieve for the loss of a sense of normalcy left behind a few weeks ago. He further added that it is okay to grieve.