Colombia-Diana Angola was fighting for her own life when she gave birth to son Jefferson. The 36-year-old had been put into a coma having contracted the novel coronavirus, which left her lungs barely able cope. Doctors performed a caesarian section due to the state of her lungs and Jefferson was born at least 14 weeks prematurely. The case generated “a lot of shock,” Paula Velasquez, a doctor specializing in internal medicine at the Versalles clinic in the southeastern city of Cali, told AFP.
“We knew that there were few reported cases of survival in a context as severe as our patient,” said Velasquez.
Angola, who also has a daughter, was taken to hospital on May 15 with a terrible fever.
Three days later she was put into an induced coma and kept that way until surgery.
Because of her pregnancy, she was kept sitting up at a 45 degree angle, when those suffering from pneumonia are normally laid down flat to help their breathing.
Jefferson, though premature, was born without the coronavirus -- but doctors said he struggled to breathe, and that they had to revive him.
“We had to go through the whole procedure of a critical patient,” pediatrician Edwin Olivo, who was one of the specialists involved in the birth, said.
But, he added, though the baby remains in an incubator he quickly started putting on weight and breathing more easily.
“A human being can survive from 24 weeks with a good weight, but with a lot of technology and an effect on neurological development and the lungs,” said Velasquez.