The Wuhan coronavirus has been impacting the well-being and health of families across the country for more than a year now. Today it was reported how a set of newborn twins have been infected with the infection in Vadodara, Gujarat. The babies were brought back to the hospital, 15 days after being discharged, with severe diarrhoea and dehydration. On being tested, they turned out to be COVID-19 positive.
“The babies were brought back to the hospital after 15 days of being discharged with severe diarrhoea and dehydration. We initially looked for all the normal causes of infections, but later when we got them tested for Covid-19 infection, and their reports came positive,” senior doctor Sheel Iyer said on Thursday.
Both parents of the twins tested positive for COVID-19: Gujarat doctor
She further informed that the newborn twins to the Gujarat couple are currently stable. They are being given supportive treatment in the hospital. Doctor Iyer also confirmed that both parents of the newborns had also been tested positive for the coronavirus infection and were being treated for the same.
“Both their caregivers also tested positive for Covid-19. Now both babies are stable. We are giving supportive treatment for the babies,” Dr Iyer said.
COVID-19 in neonates and infants
So far the research studies suggest that all age groups are susceptible to the Chinese virus, but people with comorbidities or the elderly are more likely to develop a severe form of the disease. Although children seem to have less severe clinical symptoms when infected, the potential harm of this novel disease remains largely unknown in neonates.
Current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infections in neonates are uncommon. If neonates do become infected, the majority have either asymptomatic infections or mild disease. Severe illness in neonates, including illness requiring mechanical ventilation, has been reported but appears to be rare. The recovery rate in neonates is also reported to be far better thus far.
Reported signs among neonates with SARS-CoV-2 infection include fever, lethargy, rhinorrhea, cough, tachypnea, increased work of breathing, vomiting, diarrhoea, and poor feeding.
As per studies, the incubation period for children is the same as in adults. The time between exposure to COVID-19 and when symptoms start is commonly around 5 to 6 days, and ranges from 1 to 14 days.