Coronavirus: Six-week-old baby becomes ‘world’s youngest COVID-19 victim’

Confirmed coronavirus infections around the world approached one million Thursday as the pandemic spread at a “near-exponential” rate, with a six-week-old baby becoming one of the youngest known victims.

A six-week-old baby with coronavirus has died in Connecticut USA- reportedly the youngest person to die after catching the disease.

Connecticut governor Ned Lamont tweeted his “heartbreaking sadness” in confirming the first paediatric death in the state linked to COVID-19.

“A 6-week-old newborn from the Hartford area was brought unresponsive to a hospital late last week and could not be revived,” Mr. Lamond tweeted on Wednesday.

“Testing confirmed last night that the newborn was COVID-19 positive. This is absolutely heartbreaking. We believe this is one of the youngest lives lost anywhere due to complications relating to COVID-19.

“This is a virus that attacks our most fragile without mercy. This also stresses the importance of staying home and limiting exposure to other people. Your life and the lives of others could literally depend on it. Our prayers are with the family at this difficult time.”

The confirmed coronavirus-linked death toll in the US has almost doubled in three days to 5,137, with 216,722 confirmed cases.

Four new American states imposed sweeping stay-at-home rules on Wednesday in response to the pandemic, putting over 80% of Americans under lockdown.