First COVID-19 related child death reported in Hidalgo County, officials say

The child’s death is one of the 20 deaths related to COVID-19 complications reported Friday

Medical personnel watch over COVID-19 patients at DHR Health, Wednesday, July 29, 2020, in McAllen, Texas. At DHR Health, the largest hospital on the border, roughly half of the 500 beds belong to coronavirus patients isolated in two units. A third unit is in the works. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (Eric Gay, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas – Hidalgo County reported its first COVID-19 related pediatric death on Friday, according to county officials.

The child, according to the county’s COVID-19 report, is a female from Pharr, Texas. Officials said they would not be releasing the child’s age or health information.

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The child’s death is one of the 20 deaths related to COVID-19 complications announced Friday.

The county also reported an additional 531 new positive cases. This brings the total number of cases in Hidalgo County to 21,806.

“The death of this child reaffirms that children -- and no age group -- are not immune from the devastating impact of this deadly virus,” Judge Richard Cortez said in a statement. “It is imperative, for us to all work together to prevent further spread of this disease. This death hits home the reality that COVID-19 does not spare even the youngest members of our community.”

Twenty deaths, including the county's first pediatric death, due to complications from COVID-19 were reported Friday, as...

Posted by Hidalgo County on Friday, August 14, 2020

A total of 530 patients in Hidalgo County are hospitalized with COVID-19 complications. Of those, 223 are in the intensive care unit, according to officials.

There are currently 5,003 active cases, and 313 were released from isolation on Wednesday.

To learn more about the COVID-19 numbers in Hidalgo County, click here.

RELATED: Bexar County adds 150 new COVID-19 cases


About the Author:

Cody King is a digital journalist for KSAT 12. She previously worked for WICS/WRSP 20 in Springfield, Illinois.