A 12-year-old girl has died in Belgium after testing positive for COVID-19 — making her Europe’s youngest known victim, according to officials.
The girl — who was not identified — died on Monday, Belgium’s crisis-center coronavirus spokesman Emmanuel Andre revealed, saying the loss “shook us.”
Andre called it “an emotionally difficult moment, because it involves a child” and said it has “also upset the medical and scientific community.”
He added “We are thinking of her family and friends. It is an event that is very rare, but one which upsets us greatly”.
The girl had had a fever for three days before her death, and tested positive for COVID-19, according to Agence France-Presse.
No other details were given about her case, including whether she had any other underlying health problems.
The girl was one of 98 deaths in the country over the previous 24 hours, and the first child to succumb there, officials said, with the official death toll now 705.
Andre said that the disease was expected to reach its peak in coming days leaving them “close to saturation point at our hospitals.”
News of the 12-year-old girl’s death comes a day after a 14-year-old boy in Portugal, Vitor Godinho, died after testing positive.
Last week, a 16-year-old Parisian girl only identified as Julie A died despite having no underlying health problems.
