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Carsyn Leigh Davis: 17 year old dies from Covid

Carsyn Leigh Davis attended a church gathering of 100 kids almost two weeks prior to her death.
Carsyn Leigh Davis, 17, died in late June from the coronavirus. She'd attended a church gathering of 100 people almost two weeks prior, and her parents treated her at home with medications not approved for COVID-19 before taking her to the hospital.
Carsyn Leigh Davis, 17, died in late June from the coronavirus. She'd attended a church gathering of 100 people almost two weeks prior, and her parents treated her at home with medications not approved for COVID-19 before taking her to the hospital.gofundme.com
/ Source: TODAY

A teenage girl in Fort Myers, Florida, died from complications of the coronavirus at the end of June, the Miami-Dade County medical examiner reported. According to the report obtained by TODAY, when she first started experiencing symptoms, her parents, both medical professionals, gave her at-home treatments not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for COVID-19.

Thirteen days prior to her death, on June 10, Carsyn Leigh Davis, 17, attended a church event with about 100 kids. The report stated that the teen did not social distance or wear a face mask.

By June 13, Carsyn had developed a headache, sinus pressure and mild cough. Her mother, a nurse, and father, a physician assistant, thought she had a sinus infection, so they gave her azithromycin, a prescription antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections, according to the report. (Azithromycin is not an approved treatment for COVID-19.)

About six days later, Carsyn's symptoms persisted, and her mother noticed she looked "gray" while sleeping, the medical examiner noted. The mother tested Carsyn's oxygen saturation and got a dangerously low reading, in the 40s. Levels below 90 are considered concerning.

According to the report, the mother then hooked her daughter up to her grandfather's oxygen machine, which brought her O2 levels into the 60s. The report also states that the parents gave Carsyn a dose of hydroxychloroquine.

Hydroxycloroquine, usually used to treat malaria and lupus, was touted by President Trump in April and May as a possible treatment for COVID-19. On June 15, the Food and Drug Administration rescinded its emergency authorization to use the drug in hospitalized coronavirus patients, citing too many risks without enough apparent benefit.

After giving their daughter the medication, Carsyn's parents took her to a local hospital, and on June 19, she tested positive for the coronavirus. Over the next four days, she received "aggressive therapy" and was eventually transferred to Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, where she died, the report stated.

According to the medical examiner and a GoFundMe page set up by a friend on behalf of the Davis family, Carsyn had health conditions for most of her life, including a rare nervous system disorder until she was 5 and "morbid obesity," per the report.

Carsyn's mother wrote in a statement posted on GoFundMe that her daughter "survived it all, never complaining and never focusing on herself. Even through the ravages of COVID, fighting to breathe, she never once shed a tear, complained or expressed fear."

The church event that Carsyn attended prior to her death was hosted by First Assembly of God Church in Fort Myers, according to NBC's South Florida affiliate. The station spoke with one of the pastors, who said the church took precautions, but ultimately it was the kids' choice whether to social distance. He added that the church was not going to "police" their behavior.

Florida does not have regulations regarding mass gatherings, though it does offer recommendations for event organizers. When the state began reopening in early May, Gov. Ron DeSantis urged residents to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people and wear masks whenever possible.

In a statement to NBC News, the church said, "First Assembly of God of Fort Myers is following all of the health protections and protocols recommended by the state and local government with regard to holding its church services."

This story was updated to include a statement that NBC News obtained from First Assembly of God Church in Fort Myers, Florida.