A young girl from Jorja Halliday, Portsmouth who had tested positive for COVID-19 died on the very day she was due to be vaccinated. The 15-year-old had been tested for the virus four days prior to her death at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in the city on Tuesday.
The GCSE student at the Portsmouth Academy was gifted with excellent kickboxing skills and she was an aspiring musician; her mother Tracey Halliday said. She also stated that ;”She was a loving girl and had lots of friends. She was very active, she liked to go out and spend time with her friends and loved spending time with her brothers and sisters.”
“Growing up she turned into a beautiful young lady, always wanting to help others, always there for everybody. It’s heart-wrenching because your kids are always meant to outlive you, and that’s the one thing I can’t get over.” Tracey Halliday mentioned that her daughter had first developed flu-like symptoms before she took a PCR test that gave a result that was positive. Jorja later began a period of self-isolation at their place.
Ms. Halliday revealed that she was in touch with a doctor who had prescribed antibiotics to Jorja but when her condition worsened, she was examined by another doctor who explained how her heart rate was double of what it should have been. Jorja was rushed to the hospital and her initial results from the hospital’s medical examiner indicated Jorja had COVID myocarditis (heart inflammation caused by the virus).
“They realised how serious it was and I was still allowed to touch her, hold her hand, hug her and everything else,” Jorja’s mother recalled the heart-rending scenario.
Although, It is rare to die of COVID-19 if one is under 18 and has no underlying health conditions; a number of teenagers in England have died after testing positive for the Virus.
Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab from Brixton, South London, died at the age of 13 in March last year after being tested positive for the virus. Also, In February, a 16-year-old with no underlying conditions was reported to have died from Coronavirus (COVID-19).