A newborn baby in London has tested positive for coronavirus.
According to The Guardian, the mother of the child was taken to hospital a few days before the birth with suspected pneunomia.
The mum tested positive for Covid-19 at North Middlesex hospital, with the results arriving moments after the baby was born. The newborn was tested a few minutes after being born.
Staff who had been in close contact with the mother and baby during treatment have been advised to self isolate. The publication notes that it isn’t clear if the baby contracted coronavirus in the womb or during the birth.
“Two patients at North Middlesex University hospital have tested positive for coronavirus. One has been transferred to a specialist centre and one is being treated in an isolation room,” a spokesperson for North Middlesex University Hospital NHS trust said in a statement.
“The safety of our patients and staff is our top priority, so in following guidance from Public Health England, we are regularly deep cleaning the areas where the patients are cared for and staff who were in close contact with these patients were advised to self-isolate.”
More than 1,000 people in the UK have been diagnosed with coronavirus at the time of writing. On Saturday, it was announced that 10 more people in the UK have passed away due to Covid-19.
In Ireland, more than 100 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus after 20 new cases were confirmed on Friday night. The update from the Department of Health means that there is more than 119 cases on the island of Ireland, 90 of which are in the Republic of Ireland.
