Little Carter Cheung had no underlying health conditions but died just one day after being diagnosed at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.It’s understood Carter became very ill late on Wednesday and in the early hours of Thursday morning before being rushed to hospital.He died on Saturday morning — with the parents unaware they had Covid until they came to the hospital on Thursday morning.“Tragically, a previously well two-year-old child from Sydney died at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead due to COVID-19 infection,” NSW Health said in a statement. “NSW Health asks for the privacy of this child’s family to be respected during this most difficult time.”Friends of the young family have set up a GoFundMe page for Carter’s parents.“Some of you may have heard, recently, Damien and his family tragically lost their two year old boy, Carter,” the page read.As support and donations poured in, Carter’s dad Damien Cheung thanked people for loving his little boy.“This means so much to me … I don’t know how to express this … I didn’t know so many people cared so much about Carter”.NSW Health has not revealed if the child had the Delta or Omicron variant but the latter has been the dominant strain in the state for some weeks. Children under the age of five are not currently eligible for a vaccination against Covid-19 but clinical trials for the age group are currently underway.Infectious Diseases expert Professor Paul Griffin said concerned parents of young children not yet eligible for vaccinations should remain “cautious” but not panic.“These sorts of cases, terribly unfortunate and my heart breaks for the family, serve to highlight we aren’t past this,” he said.Prof Griffin advised parents to maintain hand hygiene with their children and encourage them to wear masks in high-risk settings. “Make sure everyone is up to date with vaccinations. Most adults are eligible for a third dose so we want to recommend that, any other kids in the household who are eligible should be vaccinated,” he said.“That’s the best way of protecting those who can’t be vaccinated right now.”
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