85 babies tested positive with coronavirus in Texas [1 baby died]

The United States has already recorded more than three million coronavirus cases since January. Almost 140,000 have died due to complications brought by the Coronavirus.

In Nueces County in Texas, eighty-five (85) babies, who have not even celebrated their first birthday,. tested positive for coronavirus. Health officials are attributing this number of positive cases on babies to different factors.

With this announcement, local authorities encourage residents to be more proactive in stopping the spread of the coronavirus.

A report from CNN says Texas is one of the states in the U.S., which has become a hotspot of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Positive cases in Nueces County

Last Friday, the director of public health in Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Annette Rodriguez, announced the 85 babies that tested positive with coronavirus.

There were no details provided on the condition of the babies. However, a report mentioned that one baby, who tested positive and was under the age of one, succumbed to death. The baby was brought to the hospital for a different reason, but when tested, the baby was positive of COVID-19. The baby died at home, and an autopsy is being conducted to find the cause of death.

Although the announcement was made last Friday, officials clarified that this was not a sudden surge. The provided number of positive cases on babies was an accumulation of cases since mid-March.

Nueces County Judge, Barbara Canales, clarified that the figures were provided for illustration. She said, "For context, the spokesperson was using that statistic to illustrate that no one is naturally immune to this virus."

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Increase in positive cases

Local officials state that the increase in the number of cases in Texas can be attributed to several factors. However, authorities also clarified that the relentless testing and contact tracing led to an increase in recorded cases.

Specifically, Nueces County is targetting high-risk critical infrastructure jobs to get tested. 

As of writing, around 75 people have died in Nueces County due to the coronavirus.

Health officials have called on to the public to be extra careful. They reiterated that it is through the residents' help that they can stop the Coronavirus spread.

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Risks of infectio in kids under 1

According to a report from the Fox News, babies or children under one year old, have higher risks of getting severely-ill if infected by the coronavirus.

In the report, the news outlet cited that Mayo Clinic says that the babies' immature immune system can lead to a higher risk of severe illness. Thus, this makes babies more susceptible to respiratory virus infections.

The report also mentions that babies whose mothers tested positive with Coronavirus should be undergoing special care.

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