Death Of Teen Linked To Coronavirus: Baltimore County Officials

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — A teen who was infected with the coronavirus has died, marking the first pediatric death in the county from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, according to Baltimore County officials.

The 15-year-old Baltimore County resident had symptoms of inflammatory syndrome, a rare illness that has infected children in other states, according to authorities. Baltimore County officials reported the teen's death Tuesday, May 19, as the Maryland Department of Health reported the first COVID-19 death of someone between 10 and 19 years old. This is the youngest person to die from the virus in Maryland.

"Any loss of life from this virus is tragic, but the loss of a child is devastating. Our prayers are with the family and loved ones of this young person,” County Executive Johnny Olszewski said in a statement. “This is a stark reminder that this virus spares no one, and that we all must remain vigilant in our efforts to stay home, socially distance, and limit the spread of this deadly disease."

The teen had symptoms of pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, according to Baltimore County officials, who said this was the illness linked to COVID-19 that has been seen in children in New York and other areas.

The syndrome, similar to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome, appears days or weeks after COVID-19 and can cause fever, rash or multi-organ dysfunction, health experts in New York say.

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“The COVID-19 pandemic is real, it is here, and it is lethal,” Baltimore County Health Officer Gregory William Branch said in a statement. “Our children and our most vulnerable residents need all of us to do our part to safeguard them from this unrelenting adversary.”

A total of 4,920 Baltimore County residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to health officials, who said 247 have died from the virus as of Tuesday, May 19, while test results are pending for an additional 16 people believed to have died from COVID-19.

Baltimore County has eased restrictions on some businesses but encourages residents to stay at home as much as possible, wear face coverings in public places and keep 6 feet of distance between one another to prevent the spread of the virus.

See Also:

• 15-Year-Old Died From Coronavirus At Johns Hopkins Hospital, Family Says
• Baltimore County Opens Some Businesses, Others Stay Closed
• 82 NYC Kids Suffer From Mysterious Coronavirus-Linked Syndrome

This is breaking news and will be updated.