Noida: 4-month-old dead child's father tests positive for coronavirus

Noida, Apr 27 () Two days after a four-month-old baby was 'brought dead' to a government-run hospital in Greater Noida, officials on Monday confirmed that his father has tested positive for the infection.

However, the authorities at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) denied that the child died due to coronavirus as his sample was declared negative on Monday.

The child's mother has also tested negative for the infection, they said.

The boy was "brought dead" to the hospital, which has a dedicated facility for treating COVID-19 patients, at 10 am on April 25, senior GIMS officials said.

could not immediately confirm the cause of the child's death.

"Sample for COVID-19 was taken from the baby and the body was kept in a mortuary at the GIMS. The test report of the baby was received on April 26 and found negative. The body was handed over to parents for the last rites after they refused for a post-mortem," hospital Director Brig (Retd) Rakesh Gupta said in a statement.

He said samples of the child's parents were also taken for testing and their results came on Monday.

The mother has tested negative for the virus while his father was found infected with it, Gupta said.

"The father has been admitted to the isolation ward," Gupta added.

Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Suhas L Y also confirmed the death was not related to coronavirus.

The district adjoining Delhi in western Uttar Pradesh has recorded 129 positive cases of coronavirus, of which 71 patients were cured and discharged till Monday evening, he said.

"No deaths due to Covid-19. Please do not spread rumours," he said on Twitter.

He added that as part of measures being taken to check the virus from spreading, extra caution was being taken at all hospitals while the GIMS and World Health Organisation (WHO) teams were training staff in hospitals for management of non-COVID-19 cases.

Contract tracing of infected persons is being done while strict measures are being taken to ensure sealing of hotspots in the district, he added.

As of Monday, there are 46 hotspots across Noida and Greater Noida, according to officials. KIS RDKRDK