Europe's youngest coronavirus victim: 12-year old girl dies– doctor admits experts shocked
A 12-YEAR-OLD girl has died after testing positive for coronavirus in Belgium - the youngest victim of the invisible killer disease in Europe.
Coronavirus: 12-year-old girl dies from COVID-19 in Belgium
Dr Emmanuel Andre, a government spokesman in Belgium, said the death of somebody so young "is a very rare occurrence" and the tragedy "shook us". Belgium has now imposed its coronavirus lockdown restrictions to continue until April 12.
Mr Andre said it was "an emotionally difficult moment, because it involves a child, and 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."
Spokesman Steven Van Gucht said the girl had a fever for three days before her death and tested positive for coronavirus.
No other details of the girl have been provided.
A total of 98 people have died of the disease in the last 24 hours, bringing Belgium's total death toll to 705 from the COVID-19 virus.
Mr Andre said officials expect the spread of the disease to reach its peak in coming days and that “we will arrive at a point where we’re close to saturation point at our hospitals.”
The youngest person to die from coronavirus in the UK is an 18-year-old man from Coventry.
It comes after a 14-year-old boy Vitor Godhino, from Porto in Portugal, died in the early hours of Sunday after being diagnosed with coronavirus.
Meanwhile, a 16-year-old girl became the youngest victim in France to die of coronavirus.
The teenage girl from the southern Paris region, known only as Julie A, became the youngest French victim of the disease that often afflicts the elderly or people with underlying health conditions, the head of the public health service Jérôme Salomon said.
Belgium imposed a lockdown on Wednesday, March 18 in effect for two-and-a-half weeks until April 5.
The EU has banned all non-essential travel to 30 countries in Europe.