The Institute of Forensic Sciences (ICF) confirmed on Monday that the cause of death of a child under five who died earlier this year was COVID-19, being the youngest patient on the island to die from virus.
This was reported today by the Department of Health after receiving certification of the death of the girl, where the forensic pathologist certified that it was for COVID-19 associated with pneumonia.
Previously, on January 13, the ICF had issued a death due to death “pending studies” and, on January 19, 2021, the Funeral Agent processed it in the Demographic Register.
The minor died on January 3, 2021 after being cared for in a CDT.
The death of the minor was recorded at that time in the Death Registry system with an unspecified cause of death and pending studies. Death data in Puerto Rico are shared with the National Center for Health Statistics belonging to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This agency is in charge of coding the cause of death.
As far as the pandemic is concerned, six minors have died. In 2020, three children under the age of 13, 16 and 19 died. In 2021, three children aged 5, 13 and 19 died, the latter not a resident of the Island at the time of his death.
According to the Demographic Registry, at the time 472 people died in 2021, they have been registered with cause of death “pending investigation,” which includes all sorts of conditions, not necessarily related to COVID-19. Once these processes have been completed, the ICF must report the cause of death to the Demographic Registry, for the amendment corresponding to the death certificate.
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