3 A CALIFORNIA teen who is believed to be the first US minor to ‘die from coronavirus' was turned away at an urgent care center because he was uninsured, it has been claimed.

William Whang passed away last Wednesday at the age of 17. He was not confirmed to have COVID-19 until after his death.

3 William Whang (above) died on March 18 in Lancaster Credit: Facebook

According to the Mayor of Lancaster, California, Whang had no previous underlying medical conditions, but had been sick for a few days in the run up to his death.

Rex Pariss said in a YouTube video that William was socializing with his friends just a few days before he grew so sick he visited an urgent care facility for treatment.

"He didn’t have insurance, so they did not treat him,” Parris said, without naming the unit in question.

The staff at the urgent care facility told the teen to try the emergency room at Antelope Valley Hospital, a public hospital in the area, according to the mayor.

“En route to AV Hospital, he went into cardiac arrest, when he got to AV hospital they were able to revive him and keep him alive for about six hours.'

Pariss said that, by the time he had arrived at the hospital, "it was too late" for him to be saved.

The teenager's cause of death was believed to be septic shock. The Global Sepsis Alliance says COVID-19 can cause sepsis, which can lead to septic shock.

3

The LA County Medical Examiner has not listed Whang's cause of death and says an investigation is pending to determine if it was in fact due to COVID-19.

The Sun learned on Wednesday that Whang's family had no idea that the teen had coronavirus at the time of his death, and even held a funeral with the body earlier this week.

Speaking to the Sun, Pariss said: "They had the funeral already. His family has no idea he was the boy in the news.

“The family didn’t know about COVID-19. They were shaking hands at the funeral.”

Whang's father has been trying to get tested but to no avail, Pariss said: “He has just been told to self-quarantine."

Pariss added that the teen "did not meet the criteria for public health to OK a test and the only time he was tested was after he died."

William was originally said to be one of four new coronavirus deaths in LA County on Tuesday.

They also announced an additional 128 cases in the county that day.

There have been claims the teen had bacterial pneumonia and possibly an underlying heart condition, but none of that has been confirmed at this time.

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti also responded to the death, stating on Wednesday: "I was informed by the county that this individual did not have pre-existing conditions. It’s a sober reminder that anybody can die from this disease."

Speaking to Fox 11, Pariss said the city has purchased 100,000 coronavirus test kits.

He also advised on social media: "Keep your children home. This is no longer an old people's disease."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom reiterated this sentiment, revealing half of the cases in the state are individuals between the ages of 18 to 49.

In a statement released yesterday, LA County health officials said: "Though early tests indicated a positive result for COVID-19, the case is complex and there may be an alternate explanation for this fatality."

Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Public Health Director, said: "Each loss we experience in LA County is tragic, and we are sending our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones who've had to endure this tragedy.

"While Public Health is doing everything possible to mitigate the impact of this disease in our community, we can only flatten the curve if EVERYONE takes social distancing seriously and adheres to all isolation and quarantine orders issued by our Health Officer.”

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The release also stated that there are 10 coronavirus cases in people under the age of 18 in Los Angeles County.

Currently, 42% of those infected with the illness in the county are aged between 18 to 40.

The total number of coronavirus fatalities in the US now stands at 1,041 but is expected to rise, the surgeon general, Dr. Jerome Adams, warned on Monday.

Coronavirus kills child under the age of 18 in LA in US' first child death

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