A 45-day-old baby boy who was undergoing treatment for COVID-19 in Telangana passed away on Sunday, likely making it the youngest death in the state due to the novel coronavirus. Doctors at the Gandhi Hospital, where the infant succumbed to the illness, said that he had a weak immune system and was suffering from pneumonia.
The infant, whose family hails from Abangapur village, was also the first case of COVID-19 reported from Narayanpet district in the state. The baby is the second youngest COVID-19 patient in Telangana as a 23-day-old baby had tested positive on April 7.
Authorities said that the boy who was born in March and had health-related issues right from the beginning, due to which he was brought to the Niloufer hospital in Hyderabad. As he tested positive for coronavirus, he was shifted to Gandhi Hospital.
Officials are especially concerned with the case as the parents of the infant have tested negative for the coronavirus and they also said that the family had no travel history. Over 20 samples of those who came in contact with the boy have been collected and sent for tests.
"We have quarantined primary contacts of the baby and are waiting for the reports, the village with 650 houses has been completely locked down. Authorities will be providing all essentials at the doorsteps in view of the situation," Narayanpet Collector Hari Chandana had told TNM on Sunday afternoon, before the baby’s death.
A quarantine centre was also set up in Singaram village in the district to isolate those who were suspected to have the infection.
According to an update on COVID-19 released by the state government, the total number of confirmed cases as on Sunday stood at 858, while the number of active cases was 651.
It said 21 COVID-19 patients have died and 186 have been discharged from hospitals after recovery.
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