Peyton Baumgarth 13 year old Missouri boy dies from COVID-19 complications – making him the youngest victim under the age of 18 in the state. No underlying conditions.
An eighth grade Franklin County Missouri boy died over the weekend of COVID-19 complications, becoming the state’s, and one of the United States’, youngest deaths from the coronavirus.
In a statement, Dr. Lori VanLeer, superintendent of Missouri’s Washington School District, said that Peyton Baumgarth‘s family confirmed their 13-year-old boy had passed away from complications of the virus.
KMOV reported the 13 year old teen’s death marking the first death under the age of 18 in the state.
VanLeer said Peyton died less than two weeks after he last attended class.
The boy’s last day of eighth grade was on October 22. He began a quarantine on October 26. Within a week, his symptoms worsened.
No underlying condition, but teen’s condition declined rapidly.
Stephanie Franek, his mother, told News 4 that her son tested positive for the coronavirus on October 26 and that Baumgarth was presumed to have the virus because he was showing symptoms. She said he didn’t have any underlying condition, but his condition declined rapidly.
‘He just wasn’t getting any better and his condition was getting much worse, to the point he needed medical attention,’ Franek told the media outlet.
It was over the weekend that the teen succumbed to complications related to COVID and passed away the family told the school district according to NBC News.
‘The family also asks that we all remember to wear masks, wash hands frequently and follow guidelines,’ read a statement via the school district. ‘COVID-19 is real and they want to remind students and parents to take these precautions in and outside of school.’
‘Loved YouTube videos, playing Pokemon GO, playing football and being with his family.’
The school said it would provide counselors for children when they returned to in-person class on Wednesday, and asked for the community’s ‘thoughts and prayers.’
A friend of the family created a GoFundMe account to help with medical costs and funeral expenses.
Noted the fundraiser: ‘Peyton was a wonderful young man, who always had a smile to share with you. He was so very sweet and caring and FUN (see shark photo above). He loved Christmas, video games, and enjoyed making YouTube videos, playing Pokemon GO, playing football and being with his family.’
Missouri has confirmed more than 15,000 positive coronavirus cases in the past seven days, according to a state data dashboard. Of note, a total of 16,915 Missourians under the age of 18 have been infected by the virus statewide so far.
The latest numbers follow national infections topping over 90K per day over the weekend with the ongoing pandemic infecting over 9.6million individuals and killing 237, 177 people in the U.S.
