7-Month-Old Baby in South Carolina Tests Positive for COVID-19

A cleaning crew wearing protective clothing enters a long-term care facility where a COVID-19 outbreak occurred, on March 12, 2020 in Kirkland, Washington. (John Moore/Getty Images)

A 7-month-old baby tested positive for the new coronavirus in South Carolina, according to his family.

Courtney Doster said her youngest boy, Emmett, contracted the virus, adding that her mother also tested positive last weekend, reported WIS-TV. Officials with the state health agency said they’re not sure where her mother contracted the virus.

Doster said that Emmett had a high fever Monday, saying she spoke to Prisma Health officials and the Department of Health and Environmental Control to determine if the child could get tested.

“We finally were able to get an answer to get him to Urgent Care in Elgin,” she told the station. “And we brought him in there, and they made us get a mask and everything, and they put us in an isolation room for him to be tested.”

Doster said Emmett’s fever spiked to 104 degrees F before he was taken to Prisma Health. A positive test result was returned on Tuesday. Her 2-year-old and 4-year-old children are not showing signs of the CCP virus, but Doster told the station that she is worried.

The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic.

“We’re watching them closely and checking their temperatures, keeping an eye on them just to make sure that they don’t show any symptoms just because the period can be up to 14 days, so there is a very big possibility that they become sick too,” Doster said.

Doster said that if the child’s symptoms worsen, they need to call 911, as emergency crews would have to transport him to the hospital since her family is under quarantine.

“I really feel like people need to know that it’s possible that their children can get it, and I feel like a lot of people are taking it as a joke,” she said. “It’s obviously very serious. And no one wants to see their kid have to be poked and prodded. I hope people continue to wash their hands and take due diligence in staying home.”

Elaborating further, Doster said that the child has to take Tylenol because doctors said ibuprofen could worsen the symptoms.

“It’s very, very scary not to know—could he make a turn for the worse tonight and just not be able to breathe,” she said. “I’ve noticed him coughing more than he did in the beginning and so that’s very scary.”

South Carolina has reported over 100 cases of the CCP virus.

State health officials told a local news website that 45 cases had been confirmed in the last 24 hours.