The Department of Health reported 25 babies had acquired the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) of which, six have succumbed to the disease.
“Meron na tayong 25 cases ng infants or ‘yung mga less than 1 year old na naging positibo for COVID-19, and among these 25, anim na ‘yung namatay and others have recovered,” Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual press briefing on Thursday.
(We have recorded 25 cases of infants or those who are less than one year old who tested positive for COVID-19. Among these 25, six died, and others have recovered.)
Vergeire said the youngest COVID-19 patient in the Philippines now is a 9-day-old newborn in Cebu.
Health authorities, however, said it is a “unique” case as the deadly virus did not infect the baby’s mother.
“The presence of a newborn case in the region needs further validation on how transmission occurred since the mother tested negative,” Dr. Jaime Bernadas, Department of Health (DOH)-Central Visayas regional director said.
“Aming vineverify ‘yung accuracy ng data na meron tayo pero ‘yan ‘yung pinakabata galing sa epidemiology bureau namin,” she added.
(We are verifying the accuracy of the data but that is the youngest, according to our epidemiology bureau.)
DOH: 25 babies infected, 6 died of COVID-19
According to the DOH undersecretary, there is still no evidence that pregnant women can transmit the virus “vertically” to their babies.
WHO earlier said it still does not know if a pregnant woman with COVID-19 can pass the virus to her fetus or baby during pregnancy or delivery.
Vergeire said infants might have most likely acquired the new coronavirus after they were born.
She added there is also no proof yet that the SARS-CoV-2 can be passed by breastfeeding from an infected mother. To date, the virus has not been found in samples of amniotic fluid or breastmilk.
“Most of these cases, apparently ay paglabas ng bata ay baka doon nakuha [‘yung virus]. ‘Yung mga bata paglabas may pulmunya, so nung tinest positive siya,” said Vergeire.
(Most of these cases, the infant got the virus after they were born. The baby after they were born, they have pulmonary disease, and they tested positive of the virus)
As of this posting, the country recorded 8,212 cases, 558 deaths, and 1,023 recoveries.