Nearly two months after a 5-year-old boy died after being rushed to the hospital from a Pilsen migrant shelter, medical examiners shed light on what led up to his death.
The Chicago Department of Public Health initially said the boy, identified as Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero, died from a medical emergency, and not an infectious disease.
On Friday, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office revealed what caused his death.
The office's report showed the child died of sepsis from Strep Throat (A) and COVID-19. They said he also had two other viruses that were contributing factors.
“It’s too much for a little body. It really is sad," said Dr. Juanita Mora, an allergist and immunologist. "We have to remember that a 5-year-old has a very small amount of volume when it comes to bodily fluids. So, when an overwhelming infection like COVID-19 hits his body, and at the same time he gets strep throat, it starts going into the blood stream, it starts affecting the rest of the organs.”
Mora said she has seen a lot of kids with strep this season, and it's likely that Martinez Rivero experienced symptoms leading up to his death.
“I always tell parents to watch for three things: One, fever that doesn’t resolve. Two, fatigue, a child that is sleeping a lot and three, loss of appetite.”
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She said these viruses and bacteria spread easily, especially in shared living spaces like shelters.
“They’re also in a migrant shelter where there’s not a lot of attention, and maybe the parent felt helpless," Mora said. "It’s a very, very sad outcome. And as a doctor I never want to see a child go through this ever again. And I think it’s a lesson for all of us in the medical community, as a community itself, we need to do better in recognizing the symptoms, when to take a child to the emergency room, when to seek help fast.”
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Fire Department officials told NBC Chicago they transported several other sick children to the hospital later that week from the Pilsen shelter.
Mayor Brandon Johnson's Office released the following statement Saturday morning.
"The City of Chicago again expresses our deepest condolences to the family of Jean Carlos Martínez Rivero. This is a tragic loss, and we appreciate the work of community partners supporting the Martínez Rivero family during this difficult time.
The report issued by the Cook County Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was sepsis, a rare complication due to invasive Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as Group A Strep, that rapidly became fatal. Sepsis can lead to serious complications in as little as 24 hours.
Ambulance services were called immediately when the family reported a medical emergency. Shelter staff performed chest compressions on the child but he tragically died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
The City of Chicago coordinates medical screenings for all shelter residents, weekly on-site provider support, on-site vaccination events for COVID, varicella, and flu, and partnerships with a network of community health centers for other healthcare needs. All shelter residents are offered comprehensive medical examinations and care.
The City has prioritized the health and well-being of asylum seekers throughout the New Arrivals Mission in partnership with community healthcare providers and Cook County Health, and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) will continue to monitor and respond to all reportable cases of infectious disease across the City’s temporary shelter system."
