Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Coroner’s office says it has conducted an autopsy on the body of Thomas D. Pierce V, 12, who died in Mahoning County on Sunday, but the cause and manner of death are pending further studies.

His obituary said he died at home of complications from the flu.

Thomas was a student in the sixth grade at Jackson Milton Middle School and was a member of Boy Scout Troop 105.

A GoFundMe page on the internet is asking for financial help for the family “due to an unexpected tragic loss of one of our J.M. 6th Grade students. Many have come together to support and assist this family, but the burden has become too much for the family to bear alone.”

An attempt to contact the family through that page was not successful on Wednesday.

Ryan Tekac, deputy commissioner for Mahoning County Public Health, said the department was not aware of the case before The Vindicator called about it.

He said there has been no recent increase in influenza cases in Mahoning County.

“We still encourage individuals, if they haven’t received a flu shot, that it’s still not too late, and they can contact our nursing division at 330-270-2855 Ext. 125 and they can make an appointment,” he said.

The weekly Influenza Season surveillance summary the health department issues says for the most recent week, Nov. 10 to Nov. 16, there was “very little data being received in regards to influenza like illness” in Mahoning County.

There were two positive influenza test results, which is 8 percent of the people tested.

erunyan@tribtoday.com