Kansas reports fourth child COVID death as school-aged children have highest case rate

Kansas reports fourth child COVID death as school-aged children have highest case rate

Kansas public health officials have reported a fourth child has died from the coronavirus disease.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment's COVID-19 dashboard on Friday showed the new death in the 10-17 age group.

An agency spokesperson said no additional information on the death was publicly available.

Kansas health officials previously reported an infant and a 6-year-old child died during the November 2020 wave. A child death in the 10-17 age group was reported in September amid the delta variant surge. The KDHE previously declined to release additional information on the third child death.

The state education commissioner said the same month that a middle school student had died from COVID-19, and KDHE statistics showed a deadly disease outbreak at a school.

Federal data released Friday shows that while case, hospitalization and death rates have been falling in Kansas, the state is still considered to have a high level of community spread. School-aged children in Kansas have the highest positive test rates of any age group.

Statistics from the KDHE show school-aged children also have the highest case rates.

Of the 12-17 population in Kansas, 51.4% have gotten at least one dose and 42.5% are fully vaccinated, federal data show. Children under 12 years old aren't yet eligible for vaccination.

More: Kansas COVID clusters fall: 'When we require masks, we see fewer outbreaks impacting fewer students'