Coronavirus: Newborn baby dies in Indonesia after contracting COVID-19 from visitors

A baby has died in Indonesia from COVID-19.
A baby has died in Indonesia from COVID-19. Photo credit: Getty

A 40-day-old baby has died in Indonesia after contracting COVID-19 from neighbours who gave him cuddles while visiting the newborn in hospital.

The baby was being treated in an East Java hospital after testing positive for coronavirus at just 28-days-old.

"The parents brought the baby to Smart Pamekasan Regional General Hospital on June 9," COVID-19 task force spokesperson Sigit Priyono told The Jakarta Post on Monday. "He was immediately isolated by the health care workers at the hospital."

The boy had two weeks of treatment before he died on Sunday.

"He was laid to rest yesterday according to COVID-19 protocols," Priyono added.

Task force chief Syaiful Hidayat said many visitors held the baby while in hospital. Soon after, he began displaying symptoms including a fever, coughing and laboured breathing.

"Based on the contract tracing we carried out, the baby contracted COVID-19 from neighbours who visited him soon after he was born."

The task force is concerned for more patients as many people in the region aren't self-isolating. The hospital now has several patients under surveillance for COVID-19, The Jakarta Post reports.

The baby's parents were also tested but came back negative.

Indonesia has over 49,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 2500 people have died.