Health officials on Saturday continued to investigate whether the March death of an infant was caused by COVID-19, with Chicago's top doctor suggesting that may not be the case.
During a news briefing on Facebook, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said it is preliminarily believed that infant did not die from coronavirus, however a final determination has not been made by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.
The infant had a bowel blockage and organ failure, and died four weeks after being hospitalized, health officials said. The case was believed to be the first coronavirus death of an infant in the United States.
Dr. Arwady added that CPDH determined the infant's caregivers hadn't contracted coronavirus, adding that the source of infection was unknown. She said that the medical examiner and her office are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Mortality Unit to investigate the death.
Dr. Arwady said while one test came back positive for coronavirus, another was negative. The infant also tested positive for another type of coronavirus, NL63, she stated.
The commissioner said an announcement will be made once the cause is determined by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.
"It’s a hard thing always when a child dies,especially with some of the uncertainty around this," Dr. Arwady said. "A lot of other families with young children are worried too."
