Linden girl, 6, did not die from COVID-19

Apr 13, 2020 News

The results to determine whether a six-year-old Linden girl died as a result of COVID-19 has returned.
The test, which was conducted on the remains of the dead girl, was done after the Linden Hospital Complex had reported that she had demonstrated severe symptoms of someone positive for COVID-19.

Several nurses at the Linden Hospital Complex urging residents to stay home to curb the spread of COVID 19.

Acting Medical Superintendent of the Linden Hospital, Joseph London, confirmed that the results were negative but noted that her cause of death would be listed as respiratory failure.
He had disclosed to an emergency meeting some days ago that the six-year-old child was rushed to the Emergency Room suffering from respiratory challenges and by the time the medical staff were able to have her transported to Georgetown she died.
The girl was taken to the hospital for mild fever, shortage of breath along with tummy pains. He said that the pediatric team immediately conducted X-rays and other tests after, which it was recommended that she be transferred to Georgetown for a higher level of care.
Within 90 minutes of arrangements being made, the child died while in the ER.
“While we were waiting to transfer her, she was not maintaining oxygen over 70, which made her unstable for transfer. She was resuscitated to comfortable level and her condition continued to worsen resulting in her dying. Her condition was suspicious; however, we were unable to conduct a test on her,” Dr. London had reported.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr. Karen Boyle who had spoken at the very meeting told those in attendance, that it’s important that a test should be done to ascertain if she indeed had COVID 19 or not.
She had warned that because the body was taken to the morgue minus the test, there is a possibility that after the samples are taken off that the results may return as negative warning that even if its negative it doesn’t mean that the girl wasn’t positive in having COVID-19.
“It was important for the medical staff to have tested her within 24 hours after she would have died but taking into account that she may have already been taken to the morgue where she is in the fridge I am not sure if the samples being taken off will yield a proper results,” she said.
She urged the medical officials to have a test done to be able to better understand if the symptoms were indeed as a result of COVID-19.
“I would like to urge the medical team to conduct a test and even if it comes back negative this can be because the sample may have been compromised and not a case whereby, she is negative. With one confirmed case and a possible case within a day of each other it is important that the residents of Region Ten and health authorities here enact their plan immediately as it is evident that COVID has already entered.”
The samples from the dead girl were taken off some 36 hours after she was placed in the morgue. According to some medical sources this may have affected a true result, noting that the samples may have been compromised, a point that Dr. Boyle had suggested when the matter was first brought to her attention.
She, however, had stressed that the test should go ahead, nevertheless.
“The results are that the child did not die from COVID 19 and while the samples were taken off some hours after and there are several speculations, we cannot say that it was COVID 19 as the results says negative. We will, nevertheless, have to continue being vigilant and should we be confronted by a similar situation we are cognizant of the procedures that must be followed in taking off the samples,” he said.