A 16-year-old girl died of COVID-19 at CHU Sainte-Justine, making her the youngest victim in Quebec. Neither his identity nor his state of health before contracting the virus can be disclosed due to his age.
“We can not go into details, but in general, deaths among young people are accompanied by co-morbidities,” suggests Florence Meney, head of media relations at the hospital center.
An immune system weakened by another disease could explain the death, experts suggest. “We often talk about age and obesity as two major factors,” explains virology specialist Benoît Barbeau. “All forms of disease that affect the lungs are also surely risk factors for those who are infected. “
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“It happened on April 3,” specifies Florence Meney. “We have had very few cases of COVID-19. For us, this is the first death. We are really very sad, the whole team. “
Only two people aged 10 to 19 have succumbed to the disease so far in Quebec, a man and a woman, according to the National Institute of Public Health (INSPQ). Don Béni Kabangu Nsapu, 19, died last August in intensive care at Pierre-Le Gardeur hospital in Terrebonne, swept away by COVID-19.
Teenage deaths from COVID-19 are very rare. No less than 37,750 people in this age group have contracted the virus in Quebec, according to the most recent data from the INSPQ.
Young people caught up in the 3rd wave
“In terms of hospitalizations, young people seem to be more targeted [par la troisième vague] », Attests Benoît Barbeau. “You have to understand that across the province and across Canada, we vaccinated the elderly first. Everyone who has been vaccinated, namely the elderly, will be protected. This means that the virus will redirect itself to young adults, to young people. “
The severe forms of the disease affect few adolescents, and even fewer children. On the other hand, the aggressiveness of the new variants requires vigilance. “Young people in elementary or secondary school seemed to be immune to infection with the initial virus. With a variant that is more infectious, we can see that there are more young people who become infected and therefore we see a greater proportion who find themselves hospitalized. “
The Dre Marie-France Raynault, specialist in community and public health, specifies that young adults are the most at risk, because they are the age group most inclined to socialize. “The group most affected in terms of transmission at the moment are the 20-39 year olds. […] They are the most likely to report having had gatherings and contact with people they should not have had. They are the ones who respect the measures the least. “
As for the risks to children, she ensures that schools remain safe environments. The wearing of the procedural mask and the prudence of the professors constitute solid bulwarks against the transmission. “Children who are most at risk of complications and death, normally they are not in school because they have exemptions,” she notes. “These are children who home school and are followed by pediatricians. In addition, science gives for the moment little indication on their capacity to receive a vaccine. “Pfizer just released the first study last week that shows that 12-18 year olds could be vaccinated. “
“Most children will not develop a severe form of the disease,” reassures the regional director of public health in Montreal, Dre Mylène Drouin. At a press conference on Wednesday, she welcomed the opening next week of vaccination for people at high risk of complications from COVID-19. “For people who have not yet been vaccinated yet and who have chronic diseases, we must stand together and not relax the measures. “
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