Sydney high school student Osama Suduh died on Sunday night after contracting pneumococcal meningitis and COVID-19, The Daily Telegraph reports. He was just 15 years old and has become Australia’s youngest COVID-related death since the pandemic started.
Suduh was initially admitted to hospital for pneumococcal meningitis (itself a life-threatening illness) and it’s not yet clear when or how he caught COVID-19. The Kingsgrove North High School student spent his final days on life support.
On Sunday morning, before his death, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said that some information about his condition had been “cleared by his family” to be shared publicly.
“I can confirm that there is someone admitted to hospital that is 15 and that the cause of their admission, whilst they are COVID positive, is related to another health condition,” Chant said at the daily coronavirus press conference.
Owing to his age, he wouldn’t have been eligible for a COVID vaccine and his pneumococcal meningitis immunisation status also hasn’t been made public.
Suduh’s situation had previously been brought to light on Saturday in a public Facebook post.
“Please I’m urging you all to make sincere Dua for our young brother Osama,” a user shared on the Request Dua page.
“This is every parent’s worst nightmare Ya Allah help this family and all who know and love Osama… remove this anguish and pain with calmness and ease.”
Suduh’s passing comes after four other COVID-related deaths were announced on Sunday morning.
They were a woman in her 50s, a woman in her 60s and a man in his 70s, all of whom weren’t fully vaccinated yet, plus a woman in her 80s who was fully vaccinated but had an underlying health condition.
There are currently over 60 COVID patients in intensive care in NSW.
