A maternity nurse wears a mask as she cares for a newborn at a hospital in Wuhan, Hubei, China.
- KZN has recorded its first Covid-19 infant death – a five-month-old baby.
- The health department said the baby was admitted with TB.
- The death of the baby is one of 17 new fatalities recorded in the province.
KwaZulu-Natal had its first infant death when a five-month-old baby died after contracting Covid-19, the health department said in a statement on Tuesday.
“KZN recorded its first paediatric death since the beginning of the pandemic. The deceased is a five-month-old, who was admitted with tuberculosis,” said the department.
The child died on Monday as the province recorded 789 new cases.
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The department was scant with details surrounding the child’s death, but said the province had contributed “only 9% of the new cases reported nationally and continues to be the fourth-highest countrywide”.
Upsurge
“The province continues to experience an upsurge in cases, with eThekwini and uMgungundlovu districts recording 60% of the daily cases.”
According to the department, eThekwini District has been recording an average of 335 cases daily since 19 June.
uMgungundlovu recorded an average of 72 cases per day, also since 19 June.
“The province recorded 17 new Covid-19 related deaths in four different districts.”
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In May, News24 reported Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announcing the country’s first neonatal death related to Covid-19.
Premature
The victim was a prematurely born baby, who had lung difficulties. The two-day-old had required ventilation support immediately after birth, Mkhize said.
He said the mother tested positive for Covid-19 and the child subsequently tested positive.
He said, at the time, it was important to appreciate the complexities of the underlying condition of prematurity.
