16-year-old girl dies from the Coronavirus: "She was barely even coughing."
It appears as though the Coronavirus isn't just claiming the lives of the elderly and sick as first presumed. France just had their first 16-year-old victim, who apparently had only been experiencing minor coughing episodes up until a few days before her death. The victim also had no pre-existing conditions, and so many are starting to question whether we might see more cases like this pop up in the coming weeks.
via Le Parisien
The 16-year-old's name was Julie, and her parents claim that her initial symptoms started out like a mild cold. As her symptoms became worse, they consulted their family doctor, who diagnosed her with a respiratory infection. In a matter of a few short days, Julie's minor symptoms escalated to the point where she had to be hospitalized. Despite receiving care from highly specialized medical professionals from one of the best hospitals in Paris, Julie didn't make it past the night. Her body wasn't strong enough to fight off the infection that the Coronavirus caused to her lungs.
Her older sister, who witnessed exactly what the virus can do to a young, healthy person, told Le Parisien, "We need to stop believing that only the elderly are at risk. No one can beat this virus." Even her friends are devasted. Given the government restrictions on funerals, they can't even attend her funeral to pay their last goodbyes. They all talked about how wonderful of a person she was; she loved to dance and sing and loved to make everyone laugh. She was also very active and hated to sit still if she didn't have to. Julie's passing is a loss for all of us. It should also be reminder (albeit a sad one) that the Coronavirus is a danger to us all, and not just to the elderly.
