Kozhikode: A four-month-old baby, who had tested positive for COVID-19 and suffering from congenital heart disease, died at the Government Medical College, Kozhikode, on Friday morning.
The test results of her parents, hailing from Payyanad, Manjeri in Malappuram district, are expected later in the day.
The baby, who had heart ailments since birth, was first taken to a private hospital in Majeri on April 17 due to breathlessness. She was later shifted to another hospital in the town and to the Medical College on April 21 with fever and breathing difficulties.
However, it is not clear how she contracted the virus.
One of her relatives who had returned from abroad had tested positive earlier. The relative, who has been cured, did not have any direct contact with the baby during this period.
Five doctors from two hospitals in Manjeri, who had treated the baby, have been quarantined.
This is the third COVID-19 death and the first infant fatality in the state where two elderly people had succumbed to the disease earlier.
State Health Minister K K Shailaja said doctors had made maximum efforts to save the life of the child.
"Preliminary information which we have is that there has been some primary contact", she told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
The protocol for COVID-19 cases would be followed for the baby's last rites, the Minister added.
The bulletin said on arrival at the hospital on Tuesday the baby was in shock and had respiratory failure.
"She was resuscitated, mechanically ventilated and appropriate antibiotics for pneumonia and supportive measures to correct shock were started", it said adding the baby, however, continued to remain sick.
"Even though there was no history of any high or low risk contact or any epidemiological links as the child comes from SARI (Sever Acute Respiratory infection) criteria, she was admitted to the COVID-ICU and swab was taken and she tested positive", the bulletin said.
Contact tracing of those who had come in contact with the child was in progress.
Mallapuram District Medical Officer (Health) Dr Sakeena K said the child was having severe health issues from its birth itself and was admitted to a private hospital in Manjeri near here with breathing problem.
As her condition worsened, the baby was shifted to another hospital and later to the medical college hospital.
"The baby was having chest deformity and Atrial Septal Defect by birth which developed into severe health issues, the official added.
There are 129 active COVID-19 cases in Kerala with over 23,000 people under observation. A total of 447 cases were reported from the state so far. Of this 316 people have been cured.
On April 20, a one-and-a-half-month-old baby died of coronavirus infection at a hospital in Delhi, making him the country's youngest victim of the deadly disease.
The baby died at Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital attached to Centre-run Lady Hardinge Medical College on Saturday morning.
