Dr Hilary Jones warned on Good Morning Britain this morning that Brits still need to “exert caution” after a 15-year-old girl died of Covid-19.
Jorja Halliday, from Portsmouth, died on Tuesday after a PCR test returned a positive result on Saturday, September 25.
What began as a sore throat and the inability to eat, later turned into her incapacity to keep water down and the aspiring musician was rushed to hospital.
READ MORE: How many care home workers potentially missed the deadline for getting their Covid jab?
Despite being placed on a ventilator at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, Jorja never stabilised as her heart was under too much strain.
Preliminary results from the hospital's medical examiner indicate the 'beautiful young lady' had Covid myocarditis, heart inflammation caused by the virus, the Mirror reports.
Susanna Reid and Dr Hilary Jones discussed the teenager’s “heartbreaking” death which should serve as a reminder to “exert caution” as the pandemic continues.
For the latest breaking news direct to your inbox, click here
Susanna said: “She had no underlying health conditions and is a warning anyone can die of covid, even young people.
“Her mother specifically said she had no underlying health conditions.”
Dr Hilary added: “It is an awful heartbreaking story; a fit, kick-boxing, musician daughter with no underlying health problems.
“As you say, she died of covid and while this is an extremely rare event it does happen and certainly we are seeing the highest prevalence in this country in eleven to 16-year-olds.
“They are not usually severely infected with covid but there’s always that risk.
“We have to remember it’s a multi-system inflammatory condition and not just a respiratory problem. It affects the heart and this is what apparently happened in Georgia.
“It goes to show we still need to exert caution.”
Jorja was the eldest of five children. She had two sisters Julie, 12, and Daisie, four, and two younger brothers, Kallum, six, and Oscar who is just 18 months and too young to understand what has happened.
The coronavirus vaccine is currently being offered to children 12-years-old and over.
