A newborn recovered from the Omicron variant of Covid-19 after five days of medical treatment in the Neonatal ICU (NICU) at a city hospital. Doctors said lack of precautionary measures led the baby to contract the infection around the 15th day after birth. While the parents thought that their child had a slight cold and ignored the early symptoms, the baby’s health deteriorated after two days and had to be admitted to the hospital with breathing problems.Doctors said a small percentage of newborn babies develop pneumonia, fast breathing and low levels of oxygen saturation. In infants, it is important to watch out for these signs.
The paediatrician and neonatologist at Apex Hospital in Mulund, said that the baby was in a critical condition and his lungs were infected. He was therefore kept under observation in the NICU for 48 hours.
Prior to admission to the hospital, the baby was being administered treatment from a local doctor for a runny nose. “The rapid antigen test of the baby was negative as he was admitted to the hospital after four days of initial symptoms. While he was responding well to the treatment, we were not able to come to a concluding diagnosis. His IgM tested positive. A positive IgM test indicates that the person has been recently infected,” he said.
