9-year-old Florida girl becomes youngest to die from coronavirus in the state, report says
PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. - A 9-year-old girl in Putnam County, Florida, has died from the novel coronavirus, making her the youngest in the state to pass away from the virus.
The Florida Department of Health reported 139 deaths in the state on Wednesday, including the 9-year-old.
The Miami Herald reported that the data shows her case "was not travel-related and that she is the first child to die from the virus in North Florida."
Four other children have reportedly died from the virus, health officials said.
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A GoFundMe page established to help the family with medical bills and funeral expenses confirmed the identity of the victim as Kimora "Kimmie" Lynum.
It said that the child went to the hospital on July 11 for stomach pain and fever. However, a COVID-19 test was not performed. She was administered Tylenol and a couple of shots to address an infection in her body.
Six days later, Kimmie was found unresponsive at home after a day of playing with family and friends. CPR was performed by family members until emergency responders arrived.
"Regrettably, neither of their efforts were successful. Results from a test performed posthumous revealed she was COVID positive," the GoFundMe page explained.
The page described Kimmie as "jovial, fun-loving, and free-spirited," stating that she "enjoyed the very simple things in life such as going to the park and making new friends. She was highly sociable, inquisitive, and always happy. Kimmie looked forward to every Friday with her mother Mikasha for girl's day. Girl's day was full of shopping, loving mother-daughter eye glances and extreme laughter to mark their moments together. "
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The family would also like to create a scholarship fund in honor of Kimmie, the GoFundMe page states.
The news comes as parents must decide how they will send their kids back to school in the fall. Dr. Jason Littleton told FOX 35 Orlando that given Kimmie's death, "families need to look at that and say 'okay, how can I minimize the risk.'"
The CDC advises a varied approach towards schools returning, acknowledging that it is important to consider the risk and benefits of face-to-face learning. For those that to head back to campus, they recommend temperature checks, careful planning of school trips and lunches, and keeping the same group of students and staff together throughout the day.
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The latest numbers from the Florida Department of Health show that there have been 423,855 positive cases of COVID-19 statewide, resulting in 5,854 deaths. That is an additional 9,344 cases and 77 deaths since Saturday morning.
On Friday and Saturday, more than 12,000 new cases were reported each day, making Florida the U.S. state with the second-highest official coronavirus cases, passing New York. California still has the most in the country.
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