6-month-old girl with heart problem tests COVID-19 positive in Chandigarh

A six-month girl with congestive heart failure was diagnosed with coronavirus in the PGI Hospital in Chandigarh, doctors said on Thursday. The baby, weighing three kg, was diagnosed as a case of acyanotic congenital heart disease with congestive heart failure. She was earlier hospitalised in a corporate hospital in Ludhiana for 36 days and was subsequently referred to the PGI for corrective surgery, the PGI said in a statement.

"She was admitted to Advanced Pediatrics Centre on April 9 and was critically ill. She was stabilised and required continuous ventilatory support and antimicrobials. She showed gradual improvement in her general condition," the statement said.

According to the PGI, after detailed assessment by the cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons, she was due to be taken up for open-heart surgery in the Advanced Cardiac Centre.

However, a preoperative test for COVID-19 returned positive on April 21.

"All close contacts of the baby are presently being screened. We are currently investigating how the baby acquired COVID-19 infection. Given that the incubation period of COVID-19 infection is generally up to two weeks (but can be variable), it is possible that the baby may have been incubating the infection at the time of admission to the PGI," said the statement.

However, as she did not have any suggestive travel history or family contact she did not fulfil the requirements for pre-emptive screening, it added.

The six-month old girl child who has tested positive in the PGI, and belongs to Phagwara, remained admitted to the S.P.S. Oswal Hospital in Ludhiana for treatment of her congenital heart problem, Special Chief Secretary K.B.S. Sidhu, who is in-charge to monitor statewide coronavirus cases, informed in a tweet.

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