DETROIT - A 5-year-old Detroit girl diagnosed with COVID-19 coronavirus in March spent two weeks on a ventilator before developing complications and dying on Sunday, April 19.

About a month ago, Skylar Herbert’s first symptom was a bad headache, The Detroit News reports. Her parents, both Detroit first responders, took her off the ventilator on Sunday after doctors told them she had stopped improving and could be brain dead.

Skylar is the first child in Michigan known to have died from the virus, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Previously, the youngest recorded death was of a 20-year-old.

Skylar was diagnosed with coronavirus on March 29, the report said. Her parents, Ebbie and LaVondria Herbert, took her to a doctor for a severe headache on March 23. She initially tested positive and was treated for strep throat. After being diagnosed with coronavirus, she was sent home for treatment. But then, she spiked a fever, threw up and had a seizure. At that point, she was admitted to pediatric ICU at Beaumont Hospital’s Royal Oak campus, the report said.

While being treated, Skylar developed a rare complication of the virus: meningoencephalitis. The condition caused brain swelling and a lesion on her frontal lobe, the report said. The complication ultimately led to her death.

Skylar had no prior health issues, the report said. Her parents are unsure how she contracted the virus since she’s had been kept at home for weeks. However, the Herberts live in a northwest Detroit ZIP code that has been hit hard by the virus; 559 cases as of Sunday.

RELATED: Detroit releases ZIP Code map of coronavirus cases

As of Sunday, the total COVID-19 cases in Michigan were 31,424, with 2,391 total deaths. In Detroit, the hardest hit area of the state, there were 7,497 confirmed cases and 589 deaths. In the city, about 55 percent of deaths have involved males and 45 percent females. Of the deaths, 77 percent were African Americans.

RELATED: New Michigan coronavirus cases of 633 is daily low for month of April

Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here.

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

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