At least 15 tots, young children recover

A bunch of ‘special’ COVID-19 patients in Telangana who recovered from the infectious disease are ready to go home. At least 15 tiny tots, who braved the long isolation phase at Gandhi Hospital’s paediatric ward have tested negative in two consecutive tests. Among them is a 37-day-old baby from Mahbubnagar, the youngest COVID-19 survivor from the State.

Paperwork related to the discharge of the children was under way throughout Tuesday evening.

In some cases, parents and their children who tested positive for coronavirus were allotted a separate room in the hospital. In a few cases where only the child tested positive, the paediatric ward on the hospital’s sixth floor was where they were isolated. Besides, a separate ward is also allotted for children if they test negative while both parents have the infection.

Mothers who did not contract the infection were allowed to take care of their babies. Officials said this was done as the patients were only a few months or a few years old. The mother of the 37-day-old infant was one such example. Though her husband and the baby tested positive, she did not contract the infection. “She was allowed to take care of her infant. Her swab sample was collected and she tested negative,” sources said.

The patients in paediatric ward are less than 12 years old, sources said. “Some of them are really young. No one’s condition is serious. They only have cough, cold and fever. Their mothers attend them,” sources said.

Hospital authorities confirmed that at least 10 more are set to be discharged. “Paper work related to their discharge will run into the night. So they will leave the hospital on Wednesday,” they said.