Coronavirus Outbreak: 8-Month-Old Baby Diagnosed With COVID-19 In Australia

An 8-month-old baby in Adelaide, Australia, was tested positive for the novel coronavirus Thursday, marking the youngest case in the country. The mother of the baby was diagnosed with COVID-19 just a day ago.

The infant’s diagnosis was announced by Steven Marshall, the premier of South Australia state. The country has reported 52 confirmed cases as of Thursday.

The baby and the mother had returned from Iran, one of the worst coronavirus-hit countries in the world, on Sunday. On their way back, they reportedly halted in Kuala Lumpur from where they took flight MH139 to Adelaide. Both of them were hospitalized in the Flinders Medical Centre following their diagnosis, The Guardian reported.

Dr. Nicola Spurrier, chief public health officer of the state, said both mother and the child were in stable condition. “The little bub, the child of the mother that is currently in Flinders Medical Centre, has tested positive but I am very pleased to report that the child is well and both mother and baby are doing well in that facility,” she said.

Last month, an 8-month-old boy and his mother in England contracted the virus after visiting an infected doctor in Worthing, West Sussex. They were put into quarantine in their own home. The infant was said to be the youngest British to have been diagnosed with COVID-19.