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Wuhan Medics Deliver Coronavirus Patients' Baby Wearing Hazmat Suits

Wuhan Medics Deliver Coronavirus Patients' Baby Wearing Hazmat Suits

The baby was born to a mother suspected of carrying the disease and a father currently being treated for coronavirus

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

Images show a Chinese baby boy born to a coronavirus patient dad and a mother suspected of carrying the disease, having been delivered inside a hospital quarantine room by doctors and nurses in full hazmat gear.

The medical professionals donned suits and goggles to help deliver the healthy baby boy, who was born weighing 7.7lb at Wuhan Union Hospital on 1 February - day 10 of the Wuhan lockdown.

Footage from the hospital, which is one of the facilities on the front line of the viral outbreak in Central China's Hubei Province, shows Dr Song Bo holding the newborn boy.

The hospital's isolation unit is the designated national location for pregnant patients diagnosed with or suspected of having the new coronavirus, which originated from a food market in Wuhan.

Because of this, medics like Dr Song have been sent from other provinces to help with the influx of patients.

Ms Gong, the mother of the new baby boy born at the beginning of this month, was transferred to the hospital from China's north-eastern prince of Heilongjiang on 31 January.

AsiaWire

Now a mum of two, she has been placed in isolation as a suspected carrier of the deadly disease, which involves symptoms including fever, a cough and pneumonia.

Her husband, meanwhile, remains in quarantine after having previously been diagnosed with the virus.

Dr Song, who was pictured wearing goggles and a full decontamination suit, said: "The patient successfully gave birth to a 3,500g (7.7-lb) boy.

AsiaWire

"The child is healthy and everyone is very happy. He's been sent to Wuhan Children's Hospital for further tests.

"As a father-of-two myself, it's been tough being on the front line day and night, but we're all so excited to see this new life.

"I believe we will win the fight against this disease."

AsiaWire

The Wuhan coronavirus - now classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern - is believed to have killed 361 in mainland China and one in the Philippines, with more than 17,000 infected with the disease worldwide.

When the virus was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern last week, the WHO's director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: "The main reason is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries."

He added: "Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill-prepared to deal with it."

Ghebreyesus praised China's speed on detected the outbreak, isolating the virus, sequencing the genome and sharing it with the WHO, saying the country's efforts were 'very impressive'.

"I also offer my profound respect and thanks to the thousands of brave health professionals and all frontline responders, who in the midst of the Spring Festival, are working 24/7 to treat the sick, save lives and bring this outbreak under control," he said.

"So far we have not seen any deaths outside China, for which we must all be grateful.

"Although these numbers are still relatively small compared to the number of cases in China, we must all act together now to limit further spread."

Featured Image Credit: AsiaWire

Topics: World News, News, coronavirus, China