It is estimated that the have been 8,276 Coronavirus cases worldwide with 565 deaths reported. Those who are most susceptible are people with weakened immune systems, infants, and older adults.
Today it was reported that a baby in China’s Wuhan city has been diagnosed with the coronavirus just 30 hours after being born – making them the youngest person recorded as being infected by the virus.
Health officials believe the infection passed from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or immediately after through “vertical transmission”.
An infant in #Wuhan has tested positive for the novel #coronavirus just 30 hours after birth, said the city's children's hospital, raising concerns that infection could be contracted in the womb pic.twitter.com/j8FIdqKgAS
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) February 5, 2020
The unnamed woman gave birth to a baby weighing 6.6 lbs in Heilongjiang Province, northeast China.
Last Monday when the expectant mother was 38 weeks pregnant her temperature hit 37.3 degrees. Four days later she was diagnosed with the coronavirus.
The baby was delivered by cesarean section and by Sunday, her fever had gone. The baby was tested for coronavirus on Friday and Sunday and was given the all-clear each time. On Wednesday it was announced the infant had tested positive.
The pair have been quarantined and assigned two medical teams to monitor their progress.
