A few days ago, a senior resident who works in the physiology department of AIMS, tested positive for the pandemic along with his pregnant wife and brother. 

Despite testing positive for COVID-19, his wife delivered a healthy baby on Friday. In Delhi, this is the first baby to be born from a mother who has tested +ve for the virus. 

The isolation ward where the 29-year-old mother was admitted for her treatment was instantly converted into an operation theatre with a team of around 10 doctors to deal with the case.  

One of the senior doctors who was working on this case said that the delivery was a week earlier than expected. He further mentioned: 

Both the mother and the baby are healthy. The baby was delivered a week early, through C-section. At present, the infant has been kept with the mother since he will require breastfeeding. 

Though the doctors are yet to test the infant for the virus, the newborn is healthy so far. According to WHO guidelines, women with COVID-19 can breastfeed their babies without putting the newborns at risk. The doctor further added: 

So far, there is no evidence that the infection can be transmitted through breastfeeding. While the mother has tested positive for COVID-19, she is asymptomatic. We will be collecting samples of the infant too.