Toddler who died of Covid-19: Difficult few days as son fought for his life, says father

SINGAPORE — The father of a toddler who died from Covid-19 said that it has been a difficult few days as his 18-month-old son had been "fighting for his life".

“Today, my strong, brave son had passed on to the next world after fighting for his life,” Mr Farath Shba wrote in a post on social media site LinkedIn on Monday (June 27).

He added that he would be spending time with his loved ones and would not be responsive on LinkedIn or any social media for a while. When contacted, Mr Farath told TODAY that the family is preparing for the funeral and asked for privacy for the time being.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a news release on Monday that an 18-month-old Singaporean boy had died from Covid-19, the first death of a Covid-19 patient below 12 years old.

The cause of death is encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) due to Covid-19 and infections by the respiratory syncytial virus and enterovirus. The last two are common viruses that cause cold or flu-like symptoms.

In an earlier post five days ago, Mr Farath said that his son was admitted to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) on the night of June 21 after developing symptoms of Covid-19

Doctors had told him that his son's brain was swollen and that "nothing much could've been done" to alleviate it.

Mr Farath had appealed on LinkedIn for anyone to get him to a neurosurgeon or a medical professional who could save his son.

MOH said on Monday that the 18-month-old was admitted to the children’s intensive care unit in critical condition on June 22 and was diagnosed with severe meningoencephalitis, a neurological condition where the brain and the layers of thin tissue that cover it are inflamed.

“The polymerase chain reaction test for the patient was positive for Covid-19 as well as two other viruses — rhinovirus or enterovirus and respiratory syncytial virus,” MOH added.

MOH said that it will study — together with the Health Sciences Authority and the expert committee on Covid-19 vaccination — the safety and effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines that have been formulated for young children under the age of five "once the dossier is submitted to us for evaluation by the manufacturers”.

“MOH extends our deepest condolences to the patient’s family. We understand that KKH is in contact with the family to provide the necessary support."