A Novel Case of Severe Respiratory Symptoms and Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in a Saudi Neonate With SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Algadeeb, Kumail B; AlMousa, Haider H; AlKadhem, Sajjad M; Alduhilan, Mohammed O; Almatawah, Yameen

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emergent disease that has spread rapidly to infect more than 210 countries across the world. With the increasing number of infected pregnant women, many physicians hypothesized the perinatal transmission as a potential route of transmission. Some cases of perinatal transmission have been described, but it is unclear if these occurred via the transplacental or the transcervical routes or through environmental exposure. In this report, we described a case of a female infant who was delivered by caesarean section at 34 weeks’ gestation to an infected mother. The neonate was transferred into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Level 3, with the precaution of airborne and contact isolation. All required investigations were performed, including blood gases, nasopharyngeal swab, chest x-ray, and echocardiogram. On the fifth day of delivery, her investigations demonstrated a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Despite applying all recommended guidelines and following the treatment protocol, she developed severe respiratory symptoms with persistent pulmonary hypertension, which progressed significantly to her death.