1st Coronavirus Baby Girl Born Healthy

Story By: John FengSub-EditorJoseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

AsiaWire / Harbin Municipal Health Commission

This is the first known healthy baby girl born in quarantine to a mother carrying the deadly Wuhan coronavirus and delivered by medics wearing full hazmat suits.

The mum, who has not been named, went into labour on 30th January just as health officials confirmed she had been infected by the novel coronavirus strain now responsible for 425 deaths in mainland China.

According to the Harbin Municipal Health Commission in the capital of China’s north-eastern province of Heilongjiang, it received reports of an expectant mother who was 38 weeks pregnant, but who had also been found with a fever rising to 37.3 degrees Celsius.

AsiaWire / Harbin Municipal Health Commission

She had had contact with coronavirus carriers – including her own family – arriving from the city of Wuhan in Central China’s Hubei Province, and was later herself diagnosed with the novel strain of the respiratory disease.

Due to her developing symptoms, experts at Harbin Sixth People’s Hospital – the city’s designated coronavirus treatment facility – decided to schedule an emergency C-section.

Her daughter was born inside an isolated delivery room with the help of a team of medics dressed in full disinfectant gear.

AsiaWire / Harbin Municipal Health Commission

Obstetrician Yu Dan, assisting from Harbin Red Cross Central Hospital, reported: “The patient was anxious as we brought her to the operating theatre.

“She had only just been told of her confirmed diagnosis, so she was concerned for her child.

“In addition to that, she was accompanied by no family members, as all had been placed in quarantine as either confirmed or suspected [coronavirus] cases.

AsiaWire / Harbin Municipal Health Commission

“Our doctors and nurses did our best to comfort her. She became calmer, and at 11:32pm we delivered a healthy baby girl weighing 3,050 grammes, and with an Apgar score of 10.”

According to reports, both mother and child are in stable condition, but the pair have been separated and placed in isolation.

At the time of writing, the newborn had undergone two tests which confirmed she was free of the Wuhan coronavirus.

However, she will remain under observation for 14 days as per guidelines.

Zhao Huaxian, head of paediatrics at Harbin Red Cross Central Hospital, said: “This child is a special case.

“Our first concern was a vertical transmission infection, so we took precautions and put her under round-the-clock monitoring.

“At present, her temperature and vital signs are all normal, below 37 degrees Celsius.”

According to reports, the mum’s condition was also improving, and her fever had dropped to within a normal range of 36.2 degree Celsius by 2nd February.

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