Coronavirus-infected woman gives birth to perfectly healthy baby in China

A Chinese woman infected with the coronavirus has given birth to a healthy baby girl thanks to the quick and decisive intervention of hospital staff.

The Harbin Municipal Health Commission made the announcement on Monday, after the woman gave birth to a healthy baby girl weighing 3.05kgs (6.7 lbs) on January 30. The mother and daughter were kept in quarantine for observation at the hospital in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, and both are said to be in stable condition. 

The woman presented herself to the hospital at 38 weeks pregnant with a high fever. Following an examination by medical staff, the decision was taken to induce birth and deliver the baby via caesarean section.

The entire medical staff involved in the operation have been placed in isolated observation as a precaution, though it is believed they incurred no occupational exposure. Two medical teams continue to monitor the mother’s and daughter's progress. 

The health commission said the child registered a remarkable Apgar score of 10, with seven usually indicating a very healthy child. The Apgar score is a method used to quickly summarize the health of a newborn child against any potential risk factors for infant mortality. 

The baby has since tested negative for coronavirus on two separate occasions. 

Some 17,205 cases of the virus have now been registered in China since the outbreak began in Wuhan in December. The death toll in China rose to at least 361 over the weekend. Over 20 countries have reported cases of the disease.

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