MALAPPURAM: The four-month-old child who was under treatment for COVID-19 in Kerala lost her life on Friday morning.
The infant is believed to be the first child and the youngest to die of the disease in the state. The child hailing from Payyanad in Manjeri (Malappuram district) had been under treatment for COVID-19 at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) for the past two days.
The baby had also been taking treatment for heart disease and undergrowth from various hospitals in the state including the Kozhikode GMCH. The baby tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
The doctors with the Kozhikode GMCH said the baby was under strict monitoring and management as per the COVID-19 protocol at the GMCH.
"On the arrival, the baby was in shock and respiratory failure. Baby was resuscitated, mechanically ventilated and appropriate antibiotics for pneumonia and supportive measures to correct shock were started. Despite all these measures, the baby remained sick. As the child comes under severe acute respiratory infection criteria, she was admitted to COVID ICU. She was under strict monitoring and management as per Covid protocol of the state. Despite all possible efforts, baby continued to be in shock, developed cardiac arrest and expired on Friday at 6 am," the doctors said.
The baby took treatment from various hospitals
The baby was admitted to a private hospital in Payyanad for breathing difficulty on April 17. Though the doctors suggested the parents to take the child at Kozhikode GMCH, they admitted the child to another private hospital in the area. From April 17 to April 21, the child was under treatment for fever and breathing difficulty at another private hospital in Payyanad. If the child was admitted to the Kozhikode GMCH, the COVID-19 confirmation would have done a couple of days back, expert doctors said.
Following the child developed seizures and other difficulties, the baby was finally admitted to the Kozhikode GMCH on April 21.
The baby had fever, cough and breathing difficulty of four days duration on the day of admission. On the same day, samples of the baby were taken and tested for COVID-19. The sample tested positive on Wednesday.
The doctors with the Kozhikode GMCH said the baby was under strict monitoring and management as per the COVID protocol at the GMCH.
Body will not be handed over to relatives
The health department in Kozhikode informed that the dead body of the child will not be handed over to the relatives.
The body will be buried/cremated following the COVID-19 protocol.
Meanwhile, the District Medical Office in Malappuram has taken measures to find out the source of infection of the child.
The office has prepared a list of people who came to close contact with the baby. The child's parents were put in observation for COVID-19 at the Kozhikode GMCH.
Their test results might come out on Friday.