MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office says a 14-year-old Milwaukee boy has died of complications caused by the coronavirus.
It’s the first reported pediatric death caused by the virus in Milwaukee. The Medical Examiner’s Office said the boy also had leukemia and had undergone a bone marrow transplant in 2019. The boy tested positive for the virus last November.
Statewide, there have been two prior COVID-19 deaths between the ages of 10 and 19, including a high school student in Madison in November, WTMJ-TV reported.
Milwaukee County health officials say they are closely watching an uptick in cases among kids 18 and younger.
“We were averaging for kids about five cases on average over a 7-day period,” said Greenfield Health Department Director Darren Rausch. “So an increase of 5 to 15 is certainly significant, but we still are dealing with small numbers.”
Rausch speculates that spring break travel or sports may be driving the uptick. Data shows cases have also been increasing among adults in the county as well.
Currently, children under 16 are not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer is the only shot authorized for 16-year-olds, but the company announced Wednesday testing shows it is effective in kids as young as 12. The FDA still needs to give approval for that, which could take six months.
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