A 17-year-old teen from Fort Myers, Florida, has died of complications from the coronavirus. Carsyn Leigh Davis died on June 23. The teen had battled several other illnesses, including cancer and an autoimmune disorder. But a new report reveals that there were a lot of things that contributed to the teen's death that easily could have been prevented.
The report from the medical examiner says that Carsyn contracted COVID-19 after attending a 100-person party at First Youth Church. It was the medical examiner's belief that it may have been part of the "COVID party" trend, where people intentionally try to contract the illness. That hasn't been confirmed, but no one was required to wear a mask, and there were no rules about social distancing. Carsyn was considered immunocompromised, making attending such an event even more dangerous.
What's even more alarming is that after the teen became ill, her parents, who both work in the medical field, didn't take her to the hospital. Instead, they opted to treat her at home using the anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine. There have been mixed reports on how effective the drug is at treating COVID-19, but one study shows it led to a higher incidence of death, which the FDA has issued warnings over.
The death of Carsyn Leigh Davis is a terrible tragedy, but what makes it even more tragic is that it could have been prevented. Not only did she attend a large event with no social distancing, but she was also immunocompromised and therefore more at-risk for suffering serious complications if she were to contract COVID-19. Then she didn't get the medical attention she needed.
The girl's mother is a nurse and her father a physician assistant. The couple decided not to take their daughter to the hospital and instead opted to treat her at home — an incredibly questionable choice. They reportedly gave Davis the antibiotic azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump. The FDA has said that the drug leads to a higher death rate in COVID-19 patients.
Carsyn got sick fairly rapidly after attending the 100-person church gathering. There were reportedly no rules about social distancing in place, and people were not required to wear masks. It's shocking that any organization would partake in such a reckless act, and in this case, it cost a teen her life.
Three days later, Carsyn fell ill. She developed a frontal headache, sinus pressure, and a cough. Her parents thought she simply had a sinus infection. They did not take her to the hospital and instead treated her at home. Then, a few days later, the teen's mother said she looked "gray" while she was sleeping.
She tested her daughter's oxygen level, which was in the 40s — a frighteningly low rate. A healthy oxygen level is around 95. Still, she didn't rush her daughter to the emergency room. She used an oxygen tank the family had at home. She also gave her hydroxychloroquine before taking her to the hospital.
By the time she was taken to the hospital, the teen was already in serious condition. She tested positive for COVID-19. But while doctors recommended that she be intubated, her parents declined and opted for alternative treatments, like plasma therapy.
After several days, her condition had not improved. Doctors finally insisted on intubating Carsyn. On June 22, she was put on life support. She died one day later. Her mother has started a GoFundMe campaign in the wake of her daughter's death. She wrote on the page, "Carsyn did not have an easy life," and detailed the different health problems that had plagued the teen. "Heaven gained an angel," she wrote.
While her parents are obviously heartbroken over the death of their daughter, the teen's death has sparked outrage that more was not done to protect her. Many feel her parents acted irresponsibly by attempting to treat her at home. But there is also evidence that her family didn't take the virus seriously to begin with and may have even exposed her to the illness intentionally.
On her now-deleted Facebook page, the girl's mother had been sharing conspiracy theories about the virus. She was also promoting anti-mask protests. It's troubling because those anti-science beliefs are what ended up costing her daughter her life.
The teen's death leaves a lot of questions that will need to be answered. But no matter what, it's incredibly heart-wrenching that this young girl with so much life ahead of her succumbed to this illness. It seems clear that she wasn't properly protected by the people who loved her the most. It goes to show how damaging the spread of misinformation can be, especially in the time we're living through.
