Coronavirus: Newborn baby tests positive for illness at London hospital

A baby has tested positive for coronavirus shortly after being born at a London hospital, becoming one of the world’s youngest patients. The child’s mother was tested for the illness before giving birth at North Middlesex Hospital, in Edmonton, but the result was not confirmed until after she had her child.

According to reports, the infant was tested within minutes of being delivered, and doctors are working to establish whether it was infected during birth or while in the womb. The mother, who was originally being treated for suspected pneumonia, has been moved to a different hospital for specialist treatment.

A spokesperson for North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust told UK Independent: “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.

“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.”