17-year-old with pneumonia symptoms dies in Daegu
Health workers move a coronavirus patient to an isolation ward at Yeungnam University Medical Center. Courtesy of the hospital
By Park Si-soo
A boy, 17, died in Daegu on Wednesday after showing symptoms of pneumonia. A post-mortem coronavirus test is being done to determine the cause of his death.
The boy died at 11:15 a.m. at
University Medical Center. He had no underlying disease but had multiple organ failure at the time of death, according to
.
If the boy is confirmed to have died from coronavirus, he will be the youngest victim here of a disease that has claimed 84 lives in South Korea (as of noon Wednesday). Daegu is the epicenter of the country's growing coronavirus outbreak.
He reportedly visited a medium-size hospital in Daegu on March 13 complaining of fever. An X-ray revealed he was developing pneumonia and he was sent to a bigger hospital, Yeungnam University Medical Center. On the day, he tested negative for coronavirus.
At Yeungnam, his health deteriorated rapidly over a couple of days and he was placed on a respirator.
“Multiple tests were conducted to know if he contracted coronavirus,” a health official said. “He tested negative in some tests but positive in a genetic test. A test of tissues from the body is under way.”