A two-month-old preemie in the NICU unit of Sha’arei Tzedek hospital tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday.

The baby, who was born at an extremely low birth weight and is in serious condition due to complications that ensued from its early birth, apparently was exposed to the virus through a nurse who worked one shift in the unit last week while unknowingly carrying the virus. The nurse was apparently exposed to the virus outside the hospital.

Sha’arei Tzedek hospital stated that a number of staff members and parents have been instructed to self-quarantine following the baby’s diagnosis.

Sha’arei Tzedek also reported on another unusual case. A patient with serious underlying illnesses was admitted to the emergency room in an isolation room due to suspected coronavirus infection. The test came back negative for the coronavirus and the patient was transferred to the regular internal medicine ward for treatment.

A follow-up test for the coronavirus showed up as positive and the patient was immediately transferred to an isolation room after spending only two hours in the regular ward.

“The epidemiological investigation revealed that the patient was exposed only to a few staff members wearing surgical masks, two patients and a few family members,” a Sha’arei Tzedek spokesperson stated. “All of them were instructed to enter self-quarantine.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)