Coronavirus: Four-month-old Dubai baby recovers from virus

More children are being diagnosed with Covid-19 but most show milder symptoms than adults

A four-month-old baby in Dubai is one of the country's youngest coronavirus survivors. Courtesy: Al Zahra Hospital

A four-month-old baby has been released from a hospital in Dubai after recovering from the coronavirus.

The Egyptian girl called Tara showed symptoms of Covid-19 in the third week of April and was rushed to the hospital after her older brother, 15, tested positive for the virus.

Both children had been coughing and had a slight fever, and were admitted to Al Zahra Hospital in Dubai.

"We were really worried as we knew she had to be placed in isolation," said the Tara's mother.

It was a frightening experience to have a child infected with Covid-19 but the hospital staff put us at ease and supported us

“I was allowed to stay with her and with my 3-year-old toddler at the hospital while she recovered.

“It was a frightening experience to have a child infected with Covid-19 but the hospital staff put us at ease and supported us.”

Both parents and the toddler were found to be free of the virus after doctors tested nasal swabs.

“The baby came in with mild symptoms and remained in stable condition throughout her stay in the hospital,” said Dr Yasser El Nakhlawi, a

paediatrician at the hospital.

"At the beginning of the outbreak, it seemed that the number of infected children was not high.

“However, we now see an increase in the number of little ones with Covid-19.

“At this point it is believed that children are at the same risk of acquiring the virus as adults, but luckily their symptoms are milder.”

Coronavirus outbreak

The baby’s recovery comes after an 18-month-old Filipino boy in Abu Dhabi tested negative after fighting the virus.

The Philippines Embassy issued a statement earlier in May reporting the recovery of baby Zaine, who was born prematurely.

Although doctors and scientists are still learning about the coronavirus, fewer cases are reported in children as compared to the adult population.

Most children get the virus from close family members but exhibit symptoms milder than those experienced by adults or the elderly.

But in some rare cases children have developed more serious symptoms several weeks after becoming infected.

The World Health Organisation has called on doctors to look for an unusual inflammatory illness that could be connected to Covid-19.

Multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children and adolescents reveals itself in a fever or rash that lasts for about three days followed by inflammation, low blood pressure and stomach problems.

It is not known if the syndrome also appears in adults who are infected with the virus.

American infectious disease epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove, who is working with the WHO, said it is too early to directly link the syndrome with coronavirus.

"In some children, they tested positive for Covid-19 but other children have not. So we do not yet know if this is associated with Covid-19."