15-day-old infant succumbs to Covid-19 at Surat hospital
Infant was born with the disease, her mother had contracted Covid-19
Ahmedabad/Surat, April 16: A 15-day-old baby girl, who was born to a Covid-19 patient, succumbed to the infection at a hospital in Gujarat’s Surat city, an official said on Friday. The infant was born with the infection on April 1, as her mother had also contracted the disease, said Dinesh Navadiya, the trustee of Diamond Hospital said.
While the child’s mother was shifted to another hospital, the newborn was under intensive treatment and was also administered remdesivir injection when her condition started deteriorating, he said.
The baby, who was on ventilator support, breathed her last on Thursday night, Navadiya said.
Former mayor of Surat Dr Jagdish Patel, who had recently recovered from
Covid-19, donated his blood plasma for the infant’s treatment, it was stated. “Our doctors tried their best to save the newborn. As per our knowledge, she was one of the youngest victims of coronavirus in Gujarat,” Navadiya said.
On Wednesday, a 14-dayold boy from adjoining Tapi district, who had contracted the infection, died at Surat’s new civil hospital. As per doctors, unlike the first wave witnessed last year, more children are getting infected with coronavirus this time around.
“The infection rate of the new strain is higher than the previous strain. Hence, even children are contracting the disease this time, as the earning members of a household get infected first and then
pass the virus on to other members of the family,” Ahmedabad-based paediatrician, Dr Nishchal Bhatt said. Surat on Thursday registered 1,551 Covid-19 cases and 26 casualties.
Meanwhile, even as several migrant workers have left Surat city due to the Covid surge and anticipation of a lockdown, people associated with the diamond industry claimed the current scenario has had no impact on the trade so far. As per Surat Diamond Association, at
least 5 lakh workers are employed by 3,000 small and large diamond cutting and polishing units in Surat city. Majority of workers have migrated here from Saurashtra and north Gujarat, while only 10 per cent are from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, said Nanu Vekaria, president, Surat Diamond Association.
Of these 5 lakh workers, hardly five per cent had recently left for their hometowns in and outside Gujarat, he said.
“While some went back to attend weddings and other social gatherings, others left out of fear. Some even left for their hometowns to care for their ailing parents and relatives,” Vekaria said.
“Majority of the diamond polishing units are operational at present. A marginal number of workers have left, but they will return once the situation improves. So far, the diamond industry remains largely unaffected because of Covid,” he said.