ST. LOUIS — Another child has died of COVID-19 in Missouri as the virus sickens record numbers of youths in the state.
According to officials with the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, the child died last week in the St. Louis area. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that task force officials wouldn't reveal any more information, such as the child's age, citing privacy concerns.
The death brings the total number of Missouri children younger than 18 who have died from COVID-19 to six, according to state health department spokeswoman Lisa Cox.
On Sept. 7, the state saw a record 1,133 positive test results for Missouri children younger than 18, beating the previous of 940 set on Nov. 9, according to an analysis released Tuesday by the Missouri Hospital Association.
Some local health departments in the St. Louis area have reported that up to a third of new cases are among children.
Dr. Clay Dunagan, chief clinical officer for BJC HealthCare, blamed the increasing number of cases among children on the more infectious delta variant and schools not taking steps to reduce spread such as requiring masks. Children younger than 12 aren't yet eligible for vaccines, and vaccination rates among teens lag behind that of adults.
"That really puts kids in harm's way," Dunagan said.
