First infant contracts coronavirus in Merced County, as number of infected children rise
A 5-month-old is the first infant in Merced County to contract coronavirus, County Public Health confirmed Wednesday in a news release.
The infant is doing well and recovering at home. No further personal information is being disclosed by Public Health in order to protect the patient’s confidentiality.
“This case highlights the importance of following local health orders and practicing safety measures in our daily routines,” said County Public Health Officer Dr. Salvador Sandoval in the release. “It is crucial that we protect the vulnerable populations in our community, which includes young children.”
”Now is not the time to become complacent. Transmission levels will continue to rise and will affect our loved ones unless we make a difference by doing our part,” he added.
As of Wednesday, there are 180 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the release said. This adds three more cases to Tuesday’s 177 total cases.
Active cases account for 67 of those, while, 109 individuals have recovered and four people have died. This is an increase of 49 cases within a two-week span in Merced County, the release said.
The number of Merced County young people and children infected with COVID-19 has increased over the past two weeks, the release said. There have been nine confirmed cases of patients under 18 years of age during that time, making it 12 confirmed cases to date.
Pediatric cases have increased from 3% of the total caseload to 7%.
The county’s first coronavirus-related death in over four weeks was reported Tuesday, raising the tally to four fatalities.
The death was a man over the age of 65 with underlying health conditions. He originally contracted COVID-19 via a family member.
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 3:17 PM.
