A Seattle pediatric hospital reported Tuesday that it saw its first patient die from COVID-19.
“We are saddened to confirm that the first death of the patient from COVID-19 in Seattle Children’s occurred last week, despite the extraordinary efforts of the care team. This affects us all close to home and the patient and family are in the thinking and heart of Seattle’s children’s community, ”John McGuire, head of the Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Division at Seattle Children’s Hospital, said in a statement Tuesday. .
McGuire, who cited privacy reasons, did not provide additional information about the patient.
The Seattle Times noted that compared to other U.S. states, pediatric cases of COVID-19 are lower in Washington. However, the state has experienced its own wave of coronavirus infections in the state.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the state registered approximately 3,300 new cases on Tuesday. The day before, the state reported approximately 2,900 new cases. In comparison, new daily cases were generally in the hundreds in June.
Washington has a generally high vaccination rate, as 79% of people 12 years of age or older have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to CDC data. Approximately 70% of this population is completely vaccinated.
However, COVID-19 infections are particularly complicated for children, as children under 12 have not yet been approved for the COVID-19 vaccine.
At least 90,000 school children have had to be quarantined during this school year alone due to COVID-19 exposure or a possible infection. Only four school districts in Texas have only had to temporarily close to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
– Updated at 3:43 pm