The death toll from coronavirus which has now passed 550, also a newborn baby diagnosed with the virus just 30 hours after birth, the youngest case re
The death toll from coronavirus which has now passed 550, also a newborn baby diagnosed with the virus just 30 hours after birth, the youngest case recorded so far. The disease claimed 73 more victims on Wednesday, taking the number of casualties so far to 563.
More than 28,000 people have now been infected globally, including the newborn baby who was born in Wuhan, the centre of the outbreak. The baby’s mother had tested positive for the virus before she gave birth, according to the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
The medical test which confirmed that the baby who was born on February 2 in Wuhan is infected with the virus, has led to speculation that the lethal illness could potentially be passed from a mother to a fetus as the baby’s mother tested positive to the virus before giving birth. The baby weighed 3.25kg at birth (7lbs 2oz) and is now in a stable condition and under observation.
Chief physician of Wuhan Children Hospital’s neonatal medicine department, Zeng Lingkong, told Reuters
“This reminds us to pay attention to mother-to-child being a possible route of coronavirus transmission.”
Facing growing pressure from striking health workers, Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of the virus. From Saturday, all people entering from the mainland, including Hong Kong residents, will be required to undergo 14 days of quarantine, she said. Thousands of doctors and nurses have gone on strike demanding that the border with the mainland be completely shut.
