ROSEBURG, Oregon — An infant in southwest Oregon has died from COVID-19 complications, officials said.
The News-Review in Roseburg reports the infant, who was under age 1, was diagnosed with COVID-19-related symptoms on Aug. 20 and died Monday, according to the Douglas County COVID-19 Recovery Team.
The baby was one of 13 deaths listed in the county’s Wednesday report. Children under age 12 are not eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. All but one of the others who died and were mentioned in the Wednesday report were not fully vaccinated, officials said.
“The significant number of deaths over the past month have been so incredibly tragic and heartbreaking,” Douglas County Public Health Officer Bob Dannenhoffer said.
He said officials have chosen not to provide detailed case information out of respect for patient privacy and because of ethical responsibility to medical records laws.
“We can say that some of those who died were perfectly well before they contracted COVID and died,” Dannenhoffer said.
The health team thoroughly investigates all deaths, and reviews all medical records to make sure everyone meets the requirements for a COVID-related death per the Oregon Investigative Guidelines, Dannenhoffer said.
Gov. Kate Brown and state health and education officials have urged Oregonians to wear masks and get vaccinated as the highly transmissible delta variant continues to run rampant throughout the state.
In late August, Seattle Children’s Hospital confirmed its first patient death from COVID-19 but didn’t release any other information.
The Douglas County infant was the 162nd COVID-related death in the county.