Louisiana high school football player dies from COVID-19: local reports
The 14-year-old's team is quarantining out of an abundance of caution, officials said
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Louisiana community is mourning the loss of a young high school player who died after contracting COVID-19, according to local reports. Patrick Sanders, a 14-year-old Baker resident, died Wednesday, The Advocate reported.
CLICK HERE TO FIND A COVID-19 VACCINE NEAR YOU
Baker Police Chief Carol Dunn told the news outlet that the entire football team is under quarantine out of an abundance of caution.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Today, our parish learned of the heartbreaking loss of a young Baker resident due to COVID-19," East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said, in a statement provided to WAFB.com. "Every death from this virus is one met with immense sorrow, especially the passing of a ninth-grader from our community. At this point, every resident of our community has been impacted by COVID-19. This goes to show that even our youngest and most resilient loved ones are at risk. It is my hope that we can come together to prevent further loss. My prayers are with the family, friends and community of Patrick Sanders."
PEDIATRIC COVID-19 HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS HITTING RECORD HIGHS, CDC DATA SHOWS
The news comes as the state also announced the COVID-19-related death of a child under 1. Pediatric COVID-19-related hospitalizations have hit all-time highs in the U.S., with the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting over 50,660 admissions through the month of August thus far.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
The state has reported at least 11 pediatric COVID-19-related fatalities since the pandemic began. Overall, Louisiana has seen more than 671,000 COVID-19 cases and at least 12,226 deaths. State data reflects that 90% of cases reported between Aug. 12 and Aug. 18 were among unvaccinated individuals, as were 81% of deaths.