A Black child became the youngest person in Putnam County, Florida, to die from the coronavirus.
Kimora “Kimmie” Lynum, 9, began to have stomach pain and a fever on July 11, 2020, according to WTLV and the Florida Department of Health.
However, the hospital would not give her a COVID-19 test and only gave her Tylenol and shots for an infection. She eventually was sent home without any other treatment. Six days later, the child was found unresponsive in her room after playing with her friends and family. She later died.
After her death, she was tested for COVID-19, revealing that she was positive for the virus. Her family does not know how she contracted the coronavirus because she had not attended school in the spring or camp during the summer, and she also did not have any pre-existing conditions.
Kimora’s death sheds light on the issues surrounding COVID-19 testing. Some individuals who appear healthy are not tested due to a shortage of tests in certain areas.
Florida recently became the new epicenter for COVID-19 cases. According to John Hopkins University, 423,855 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. But even with the rise in cases, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a staunch supporter of the current U.S. president, has resisted enacting a mask mandate and other restrictions that could possibly help lower the number of new infections.
