Covid +ve woman gives birth, separated from newborn

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 18

A 35-year-old woman from Samana is staying separate from her newborn baby at Rajendra Hospital because she has tested Covid positive. The woman tested positive for the disease on June 12 during a regular check-up. This is stated to be the first case in the district wherein corona positive patient has given birth to a girl.

Doctors of the gynaecology, anaesthesia and other departments performed caesarean delivery while taking all precautions. Doctors at the hospital informed that the mother was kept in a separate ward dedicated for Covid in the Gynaecology Department. Meanwhile, the newborn girl has been kept in a separate room. The hospital staff will be taking special care of the girl.

It is pertinent to mention that it was still unclear how the woman contracted the virus. The Health Department said swab samples of the baby girl would be collected after a few days to test if she had coronavirus infection.

Dr Sumeet Singh, district epidemiologist, said that there was no literature on vertical transmission (infection from mother to offspring) of the coronavirus.

“There are few cases where newborn of the Covid patient tests positive for the disease. However, we will still take samples of the girl after a few days,” he added.