15-month-old infant tests positive for Covid; condition stable, say Niloufer doctors

Hyderabad: In the first case of Covid-19 infection in infants reported this season in Hyderabad, a 15-month-old baby boy tested positive for Coronavirus. He is currently being treated at Niloufer Hospital and his condition is said to be stable.

Even though the popular perception is that children are comparatively less affected by Coronavirus than adults, there seems there be no respite even for small children from Covid this time. The recently identified JN.1, a sub-variant of Omicron, may share Omicron’s virulence that affects children. The doctors are yet to confirm if the child is infected with the JN.1 variant.

Elaborating on the case, the resident medical officer (RMO) of Niloufer Hospital Dr Arun Kumar said, “On December 18, a 15-month-old boy was referred to our hospital from Nampally. The baby had a cold, cough and respiratory distress, symptoms similar to pneumonia. He tested positive for Coronavirus and was put on a ventilator. However, his condition improved and he no longer required ventilator support. He is now stable but oxygen is being administered and he has been kept under observation. Depending on his condition, the treating doctors will decide how long oxygen has to be externally supplied.”

Baby’s parents are Covid-free

Dr Arun Kumar said though this is the first Covid case spotted in an infant in the city this season, babies getting Covid are not uncommon.

“In the past years, when Covid was at its peak, we had even two-day-old infants testing positive for the virus. So, the virus can attack people of any age – infants, children or adults. In this case, interestingly, the baby boy’s parents did not have Covid. We have no idea where the baby got the virus. As for the strain of the virus or whether it is JN.1 sub-variant, it can be known only after genome sequencing,” added Dr Kumar.

As per doctors, the JN.1 sub-variant spreads rapidly, infecting a large number of people within a short period but it usually does not lead to severe illness or hospitalisation. Most patients can be treated as outpatients. Doctors advise people to avoid overcrowded places and keep themselves and their children masked up while moving in public places.