A baby born to a mother already diagnosed with deadly coronavirus tested positive for the disease 30 hours after birth. The new diagnosis has sparked fears about how it may have been passed from mother to baby, with doctors looking into whether the infant may have been born already infected.
Viruses such as the coronavirus spread through droplets that are in the air when a person sneezes or coughs, or through close contact with an infected person. The mother had been confirmed to have coronavirus before she went into labour.
 |
More than 20,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide
|
But experts are now examining a potential new transmission route from mothers to babies. The newborn, born on Sunday, is one of two babies found to carry the coronavirus by Wuhan Children’s Hospital.
Dr Zeng Lingkong, chief physician from the hospital’s Department of Neonatal Medicine, told Chinese state television: ‘This reminds us to pay attention to a potential new transmission route of the coronavirus – vertical transmission from mothers to babies.’
Doctors said the three-day-old baby is stable and being closely monitored. Another 17-day-old baby was confirmed to have the infection after being born healthy on January 13. The hospital said a wet nurse hired to look after the newborn on January 22 was later diagnosed with the disease.
Both babies are being treated at the same hospital which has been appointed by the government to treat all infected children.
On Saturday pictures emerged of doctors and nurses delivering a baby boy wearing hazmat suits and goggles in Wuhan Union Hospital. The 7lb 14oz baby was healthy at the time of birth, but medics were yet to give him a coronavirus test. The coronavirus death toll has climbed to 490 in mainland China, with 66 new deaths overnight.
