A 6 and a half week-old baby from Hartford whose death was reported to be related to the coronavirus was infected with the virus, but the cause of death was determined to be Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SIDS), the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) confirmed Friday.
Infants sometimes die of unexplained causes or unsafe sleeping conditions. When there is no definitive cause of death, these deaths are typically ruled “undetermined” or “Sudden unexpected/Unexplained Death in Infancy,” according to the OCME.
Officials confirmed the infant was infected with COVID-19 by sending lung tissue to the CDC. It is currently unclear how the virus may affect infants, and it is therefore unclear how the COVID-19 infection may have contributed to the baby’s death, if at all.
In April, Gov. Ned Lamont announced the baby girl was the youngest person whose death was related to the coronavirus. As of Friday, 4,396 people have died of the coronavirus in Connecticut.
