Japan reports first possible case of mother-to-newborn COVID-19 transmission

A newborn baby in Japan is believed to have contracted COVID-19 from the mother. This may be the first case of mother-to-baby coronavirus transmission in the country, news agency ANI reported quoting the NHK public broadcaster on March 22. As per the Japanese media outlet, researchers from the Japan Pediatric Society have studied 1,124 medical facilities that have pediatric departments across the country. 

First case of mother-to-baby COVID transmission

According to the survey conducted by Pediatric society, 52 babies were born at 31 facilities to corona positive mothers last year. One of the 52 babies was said to be COVID-19 infected. The child reportedly did not have health problems. NHK public broadcaster cited researchers as saying that there had been other similar cases about mother-to-baby COVID-19 transmissions reported from other countries. Morioka Ichiro, a professor at the Nihon University School of Medicine said that there are low chances of mothers passing the coronavirus on to their babies and said that the infected newborn develops light symptoms. There have been such reports coming from several other countries including Singapore and Bulgaria where mothers gave birth to babies after becoming corona positive during pregnancy. 

New 'distinct' COVID-19 Mutation in Japan

Meanwhile, on March 14, health officials in Japan had sounded alarm over a new ‘distinct’ variant of coronavirus found in the country in late February. As per Japan’s ministry of health, the lethal mutation was discovered in a traveller who arrived at Narita Airport near Tokyo from the Philippines. The traveller, in their 60s, was asymptomatic but tested positive whilst staying in mandatory quarantine. In the aftermath, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases has suggested an enhancement in travel restrictions and border control. The diagnosis of the new SARS-CoV-2 comes as scientists across the world warn that the new mutant virus could possibly resist vaccine jabs. The new mutation was officially confirmed by the Japanese health ministry on March 13, following which it immediately raised an alarm.

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(Inputs from ANI)