An eighth grade Missouri boy died over the weekend of Covid-19 complications, becoming the state's, and one of the nation's, youngest deaths from the coronavirus.
In a statement, Dr. Lori VanLeer, superintendent of Missouri's Washington School District, said that the Baumgarth family confirmed their 13-year-old son Peyton had passed away from complications of the virus.
VanLeer said Peyton died less than two weeks after he last attended class.
The boy's last day of eighth grade was on October 22. He began a quarantine on October 26.
Within a week, his symptoms worsened. Baumgarth was hospitalized and over the weekend succumbed to complications of Covid-19, his family told the school district.
"The family also asks that we all remember to wear masks, wash hands frequently and follow guidelines," the statement said. "COVID-19 is real and they want to remind students and parents to take these precautions in and outside of school."
The school said it would provide counselors for children when they returned to in-person class on Wednesday, and asked for the community's "thoughts and prayers."
Missouri has confirmed more than 15,000 positive coronavirus cases in the past seven days, according to a state data dashboard.
