One-and-a-half-month-old baby dies of COVID-19 infection at Delhi hospital

(Eds: With more inputs)

New Delhi, Apr 19 () A one-and-a-half-month-old baby has died of coronavirus infection at a hospital in Delhi, making him the country's youngest victim of the deadly disease.

This is also perhaps the first fatality of an infant due to COVID-19 in the national capital.

The baby died at Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital attached to Centre-run Lady Hardinge Medical College on Saturday morning, officials said.

"The baby was brought to the hospital a few days ago. He had tested positive for COVID-19. The child was admitted in SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Illness) ward and died yesterday morning," a doctor at the hospital said on the condition of anonymity.

The surveillance team has been informed for contact-tracing, he said.

The 45-day-old infant and a 10-month-old baby were recently brought to the emergency department of the hospital.

These two children were admitted to the SARI (severe acute respiratory infection) ward. They were shifted to the COVID-19 block on the premises of the Lady Hardinge Medical College after they tested positive, a senior doctor said.

The total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital on Sunday climbed to 2003, with 110 fresh cases and two deaths being reported in a day, according to the Delhi government authorities.

As per the age profile of COVID-19 victims in Delhi shared by the Health Department, of the total 45 fatalities reported till date, 25 were aged 60 years and above, making 56 per cent of the total death cases.

Ten of them were in the age group of 50-59 and 10 were aged less than 50 years, officials said. KND/PLB IJT