Woman with COVID-19 gives birth, baby tests positive

On Monday 20 April, the Ahmed Al-Kadi Private Hospital in Durban, confirmed that a woman who tested positive for COVID-19 gave birth to a baby that also tested positive. 

Chairman of the Board Dr Ayoob Bux, in an interview with Lotus FM, confirmed the news. 

COVID-19 positive woman gives birth to baby who also tests positive 

Bux said the pregnant woman was admitted to the hospital last week. The woman allegedly came to the hospital in a healthy state and was booked in for a cesarean. 

“The protocol at the hospital is that all patients admitted to the hospital have to be tested for COVID-19. Unfortunately, she tested positive upon admission. The baby was delivered and unfortunately also tested positive,” said Bux. 

“The good news is that mother and child are well, they have been discharged from the hospital and are back at home,” he added.  

The chairman added that at present, there are three COVID-19 positive patients that were admitted to the hospital’s high care facility. 

Here’s why the woman and baby could return home in good health 

Bux said all the necessary precautions were taken in the maternity ward and theatre, making for successful and safe delivery of the baby. 

“I think all the necessary precautions were taken in the maternity ward and in the theatre and the necessary cleaning was done after the procedure. So I think those mothers who have to deliver their babies can take comfort in the fact that they will be screened before they come into the hospital and [their] status would be known to the doctors and the hospital so that [they] can be treated appropriately and don’t pose a risk to other patients who may be COVID-19 negative,” said Bux. 

“I think it’s important that the hospital makes this known to the public. We don’t want any misinformation to be circulating out there,” he added. 

Ahmed Al-Kadi Hospital ramps up safety measures 

There are, according to Bux, many steps being taken by the hospital to safeguard the patients in the hospital from COVID-19. 

For example, at the main entrance of the hospital, there is a screening tent so one can get screened before entering the hospital as per the Department of Health guidelines. 

“All those entering the hospital, at a bare minimum, need to have a face mask and in addition to that, we are looking at installing a walkthrough decontamination system where everybody who enters the hospital will hopefully be decontaminated before they enter the main door,” said Bux. 

“We obviously restricting visiting patients to the hospital. Except in cases where patients are in ICU,” he added.