Coronavirus infects Ohio 2-year-old, the youngest in the state to contract the illness to date
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A 2-year-old boy in Ohio has contracted the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, according to local reports.
The toddler, who was not identified, has tested positive for the coronavirus, officially making him the youngest person in Ohio to contract the illness, according to WLWT-5, citing a Franklin County spokesperson.
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The boy likely contracted the illness via person-to-person transmission, according to the news station. He is reportedly not hospitalized and is recovering at home.
There are at least 88 cases of the novel virus in Ohio.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Despite the more than 9,000 coronavirus cases in the U.S., the virus has largely spared children, which is puzzling as they are typically among the most vulnerable when it comes to seasonal illnesses like the flu or other coronaviruses. One pediatrician previously told Fox News that their frequent exposure to these seasonal illnesses may be protecting them from COVID-19.
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“No one is certain why this is happening, but the likely reason is that every winter season there are several non-COVID-19 coronaviruses circulating that children are highly prone to catching,” Dr. Peter Jung, a pediatrician, said. “Their frequent exposure to these other coronaviruses likely offers them some level of immunity that adults may not have. There are probably other contributing factors but this is likely the biggest one.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Alexandria Hein contributed to this report.