The Ministry of Health (MoH) has said that it is possible that the baby who recently died while infected with COVID-19 may have contracted the virus at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH).
The disclosure has come in wake of the parents of the infant testing negative for the virus.
According to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Narine Singh, a nosocomial infection, also called a Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI), is an infection that is occurs in a hospital or other health care facility. Transmission usually occurs via healthcare workers, patients, hospital equipment, or interventional procedures.
Singh noted that since there were no COVID-19 positive persons present at the baby’s birth and who took care of the baby after his birth, it is likely that nosocomial infection may be the only explanation.
Meanwhile, a source told Stabroek News that the family of the infant requested that an autopsy be performed and one is expected to be done soon.
The infant is the youngest COVID fatality to have been recorded so far. He will be classified as a COVID-19 ‘related’ death as he was diagnosed with aspiration pneumonitis shortly after his birth and it was only after his death that it was discovered that he was infected with the virus.
A source told Stabroek News that the mother was in labour when she was admitted to the WDRH. The infant was born on November 17th and was subsequently diagnosed with aspiration pneumonitis, which is defined as acute lung injury after the inhalation of regurgitated gastric contents.
The neonate died 6 days after his birth. As is the protocol, the infant was tested for COVID-19 shortly after his death and when the result returned, it revealed that he was infected.
The parents of the baby were placed in isolation after it was discovered that the baby had the virus but they both tested negative. When contacted, Public Relations Officer of the MoH Shabana Shaw had told Stabroek News that the matter was being investigated and that staff of the WDRH was tested for the virus.
However, the Ministry later clarified that this was not so and staff who were in contact with the baby were only placed in quarantine and as of yesterday, were still awaiting tests.
According to ministry spokesperson Daniel Singh, should the staff develop any symptoms relating to COVID-19 by the end of the quarantine period, they will be tested. However, he said, as of yesterday, they were yet to show any symptoms of the virus.
