Newborn baby in London has coronavirus as UK cases soar to 820 and 11 dead
A NEWBORN baby in England has tested positive for coronavirus — the world’s youngest victim.
The child’s mother had been rushed to a London hospital days earlier with suspected pneumonia.
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Overnight, she and her tot were being treated at separate hospitals.
The mum was tested at North Middlesex Hospital but her positive result was known only after the birth.
The baby was tested within minutes of arrival.
Medics are trying to establish whether the tot was infected during birth, or contracted the virus in the womb.
The baby remains at the hospital while the mum has been moved to a specialist infections hospital.
A source said: “Staff in contact with both patients have been advised to self-isolate. Health officials are urgently trying to find out the circumstances behind their infections.”
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has advised that healthy babies should not be separated from infected mums and can be breastfed.
Health officials stress pregnant women and babies are at low risk of complications from the virus and most will have mild symptoms.
BATTLING THE BUG
Concern grew as the UK death toll rose to 11 with yesterday's confirmed cases up 208 to 798, the biggest daily leap yet.
Wales today announced another 22 cases, bringing its total to 60 - and the overall UK figure to 820.
In the last 24 hours the UK has seen an enormous 35 per cent increase in cases of the deadly virus.
Today it was announced that football in England was put on hold and all mass gatherings are due to be cancelled.
Meanwhile cities and towns across Britain appeared deserted at times today as people worked from home and avoided shops and transport links over concerns about the virus.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson said schools would not close yet despite almost 600 people catching the virus, with 20 positive cases in Northern Ireland.
The PM confirmed Britain would move to the "delay" phase to try and stem the spread.
He said: "At all stages we have been guided by the science and we will do the right things at the right time.
"We are not closing schools now, the scientific advice is that this could do more harm than good at this time.
"Of course we are keeping this under review and this may change as the disease spreads.
"Schools should only close if they are specifically advised to do so."
However, Northern Ireland's First Minister warned that coronavirus will close British schools eventually.
Ireland yesterday announced all schools there would close until the end of March to stop the infection taking hold.
We are not closing schools now, the scientific advice is that this could do more harm than good at this time.
Boris Johnson
Arlene Foster said today "there will come a point where we have to close schools", as the killer bug spreads throughout the UK.
She added: "There will come a point where we will have to say people should social distance themselves from other people, they should stay in their own homes."
Teachers country-wide are preparing "home-learning packs" as schools could close for a month-long Easter break due to coronavirus.
Brits told to self-isolate for a week if they have a 'mild' cold or a cough
BRITS are being told to do their duty for the country's coronavirus effort and self-isolate for seven days if they have a mild cough or cold.
Anyone with even mild symptoms should not leave home for seven days from when their symptoms start to stop the virus spreading.
People staying at home for seven days should stay at least two metres away from people whenever possible, according to Public Health England's guidelines.
They should also sleep alone - as well as wash their hands regularly for 20 seconds with soap and water.
London's cases are steadily rising, with 136 people being treated for the killer bug in the capital.
Scotland also saw its first coronavirus death, after an older patient with pre-existing health conditions died.
Dr Catherine Calderwood said: "I am saddened to report that a patient in Scotland who has tested positive for coronavirus has died in hospital.
"I offer my deepest sympathy to their friends and family at this difficult time."
Anyone with a cough or fever must now stay at home for seven days, after an emergency COBRA meeting yesterday ramped up the fight.
Boris Johnson told the nation to stay at home if they have a cough, adding: "Many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time."
The PM admitted there would be “severe disruption”, but the Government was ready to adapt to keep people safe."
One of the country's top scientists said today that millions of Brits need to catch coronavirus so we can develop "herd immunity".
Around 60 per cent of the UK population will need to become infected to prevent another more aggressive outbreak of Covid-19.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the outbreak a global pandemic as more than 140,000 people have been diagnosed with the killer bug across 114 countries.
More than 5,000 people have died - around 3,000 of them in China - after contracting COVID-19 across the globe.
WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the medical body has "rung the alarm bell loud and clear".
The Sun says
SAVING as many lives as possible is of course the priority. But saving businesses and jobs is becoming alarmingly urgent.
The warning from British Airways, that the giant airline is fighting for its very survival, is chilling. But it is only the tip of the iceberg.
Bookings have fallen off a cliff as the world shuts down, with holidays, events, sporting fixtures, conferences and business travel all cancelled.
The coronavirus impact is worse than 9/11, SARS or the global crash, says BA chief Alex Cruz.
He is already looking to lay off some of his 45,000 workers.
Hundreds of thousands of normally thriving small firms also face an existential threat.
Think of the empty hotels, pubs and restaurants, the deserted shops and cinemas and unused cabs as families self-isolate or just stay away from crowds.
But they will not just be left to go under.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced Budget measures worth £12billion to mitigate the virus, £7billion of it for firms and staff.
They include suspending some business rates for a year. New funding will provide bank loans to keep small and medium-sized companies going.
The Government regards these measures as just the start. It knows £7billion will not cut it if the crisis gets as bad as it could.
It aims to prevent any normally viable business going bust. That will include giant ones like BA if they cannot secure stop-gap finance elsewhere.
In its first three months, Boris Johnson’s new Government has been hit by easily the gravest worldwide crisis since the 2008 crash . . . and one with a far greater human cost.
It must spend whatever it takes to keep healthy firms afloat — while continuing to ignore the smart alecs of social media and follow the scientific advice on delaying the spread of the virus and minimising deaths.
There aren’t many crumbs of comfort.
But at least this catastrophe is not in the hands of Jeremy Corbyn.
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