[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] A 12-month-old female infant who tested positive for COVID-19 in Jeju has died, and police have launched an investigation after confirming circumstances of incorrect medication administration during hospital treatment.
According to Jeju Police Agency and Jeju Province on the 27th, A, who tested positive for COVID-19 on the 10th of last month, died on the 12th while receiving inpatient treatment at Jeju National University Hospital.
A was admitted to Jeju National University Hospital in the early morning of the 11th after symptoms such as difficulty breathing worsened during home treatment, but ultimately passed away on the 12th. This is the first infant COVID-19 death case in Jeju.
The police recently obtained related intelligence indicating a medication error occurred during A's hospitalization and treatment, and have begun an investigation. They are examining whether the medication error directly affected the patient’s death.
The diagnosis at the time included a physician’s opinion that death was due to myocarditis, and no additional investigations such as an autopsy were conducted.
A police official stated, "Medical staff at Jeju National University Hospital have been booked and are under investigation regarding this case, but as the investigation is still in its early stages, we cannot confirm specific details such as the exact number of people booked. It appears that the prescription was correct, but there was a procedural issue during the medication administration."
Meanwhile, Jeju National University Hospital reportedly informed the guardian first upon recognizing the related issue and confirmed that a meeting was also held.
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