15-Hour-Old Baby Girl Tests Positive For COVID-19 While Her Mother's Results Comes Out Negative

A 15-hour-old girl has tested positive for Covid-19 but her mother tested negative for the virus.

32-year-old Ashwini Katela gave birth to the baby girl at a private nursing home in Palghar town of Maharashtra on Sunday, May 30. She had tested negative for the virus before her delivery.

The woman, hailing from Darsheth village, gave birth after eight months of pregnancy. The premature baby weighs 1.5 kg.

Dr. Ramdas Marad, medical superintendent of the rural hospital says this is the first such reported case in the metropolitan region.

Both the mother and the child were tested for Covid-19 after the delivery and the infant’s report came out positive but the mother tested negative, he said on Monday.

The infant was referred to a government hospital for further treatment, the doctor added.

"The hospital conducted a rapid antigen test on the mother and child after she was born at 7 am. Katela was found Covid-19 negative but her child was found positive. Later, the baby was shifted to the Jawhar-based Government Cottage Hospital. The baby is weak and critical," Dr.Marad told Mid-Day news.

The doctor said they are studying the case and expect the baby girl to recover soon.

"We are trying to get the baby her mother’s milk as soon as possible. This can be done when she is out of danger. In MMR, this is the first case where a newborn was found Covid-19 positive. We are studying the case. We are trying our best and will send the recovered baby to her mother," Dr. Marad added.

The baby’s mother is also reportedly unwell. She is currently under treatment, doctors said.

"The 32-year-old mother is suffering from jaundice. After treatment we will take her to feed her child," Dr. Rajendra Chauhan, who is treating her, said.

In a similar incident, another newborn girl born on May 25, at a hospital in Banaras Hindu University's (BHU) Sir Sunderlal Hospital, tested positive for COVID-19 despite her mother testing negative before the delivery.

"There are certain flaws and limitations of an RT-PCR test," Dr. Kaushan Kumar Gupta, the Medical Superintendent, told The New Indian Express.