A 4-year-old girl with no past medical history died after contracting COVID-19. Her passing acts as the second COVID-19 death case for patients under the age of 12 in Singapore. On Tuesday, July 19, Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) announced the young girl’s tragic passing.
- 4-Year-Old Singaporean Girl Dies From COVID-19
- COVID-19 Cases Among Children in Singapore
- How to Protect Young Children From COVID-19
4-Year-Old Singaporean Girl Dies From COVID-19
A 4-year-old girl who died from COVID-19 days after testing positive. Her case acts as the second COVID-19-related death for patients under 12 in Singapore. In relation to this, MOH said that the child was previously well and had no past medical history.
On the 15th of July 2022, the child developed symptoms of fever and an upper respiratory tract infection. Afterwards, she tested positive for COVID-19 using a rapid antigen test (ART) on July 17 at a general practitioner clinic.
Due to her severe symptoms, the doctors prescribed her medications. However, the girl remained unwell and collapsed after testing positive for COVID-19.
“Children are generally more resilient to COVID-19 infections than adults and the elderly,” said the Ministry of Health. “Notwithstanding, COVID-19 infections can result in severe disease amongst children.”
According to MOH, the state coroner said that the child’s cause of death turned out to be COVID-19 pneumonia. This ultimately caused the rapid effects of the severe COVID-19 symptoms on the 4-year-old girl.
First COVID-19 Death in a Patient Under 12
On the 27th of June this year, MOH recorded Singapore’s first COVID-19 death for a patient under 12. The Singaporean boy was only 1-year-old when he passed.
The child’s cause of death was encephalitis due to COVID-19. It is a respiratory syncytial virus and enterovirus infection.
Like the recent death of the 4-year-old girl, the Singaporean toddler had no past medical history. Furthermore, MOH stated that before the child contracted COVID-19, he was previously well. Additionally, the toddler succumbed to the disease days after testing positive for the disease.
COVID-19 Cases Among Children in Singapore
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MOH continues to collaborate with the Health Sciences Authority and the Expert Committee on COVID-19 vaccination. They are studying the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines formulated for children under 5.
At present, children aged 5 and above are eligible for the primary vaccination series. Moreover, minors aged 12 and above can continue to line up for their primary vaccination series. Once completed, both ages can prepare for the following booster shots.
Current Updates on COVID-19 in Singapore
As of the 18th of July 2022, Singapore reported a total of 6,227 new COVID-19 cases. The 5,978 of them were local cases. Heartbreakingly, the MOH recorded four new deaths.
Currently, there are a total of 810 people admitted to the hospital. Meanwhile, 78 of them require oxygen supplementation, and 16 are in the intensive care unit.
Once the number exceeds 1, it only indicates that the number of new weekly COVID-19 cases is rising. Unfortunately, the week-on-week infection ratio wcant present, about 93% of the country’s population is able to complete their full vaccination regimen. Meanwhile, 78% of the population successfully received their booster shots.
According to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, the country was “near peak, if not at the peak” of the recent Omicron wave.
History of COVID-19 Cases in Singapore
Singapore recorded its first case of COVID-19 on the 23rd of January 2020. It was one of the first countries outside China to experience the effect of the pandemic.
The COVID-19 virus is highly contagious; it spreads among people. People say it is not easy to fight something you cannot see; it goes the same with COVID-19.
One could never know that they contracted the disease until they experience the symptoms. This especially applies to the constant appearance of contagious COVID-19 strains across the globe.
Heartbreakingly, COVID-19 is dangerous that could lead to death. As of July 2022, there are over 6 million people across the globe who died from the said disease.
How to Protect Your Kids From COVID-19
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Most COVID-19 strains affect adults more than kids. However, parents must always be wary that youth, especially young children, can get infected too.
Now that we have been living with COVID-19 for a while now, we have indeed learned a lot about the virus. Because of that, we know precisely how dangerous the virus is. With that, it is essential to know the things you should do to protect yourself from it, most especially the kids.
Here are the simple ways how:
- Get vaccinated and stay updated on your booster shots.
- Remember to maintain social distancing (or physical distancing), especially in public spaces. This crucial step helps you and your family avoid contracting the virus.
- Practise good hygiene wherever you go. Additionally, teach your child proper hygiene such as washing hands with soap and using hand sanitizers or alcohol.
- Stay vigilant in wearing masks when travelling outside your home. The easing of COVID-19 restrictions shouldn’t stop you from remaining cautious.
