First neonates with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in Romania: Three case reports

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, which quickly spread throughout the world, has been putting medical workers all over the world in difficulty because of the high number of cases combined with the lack of information about the disease. Although pediatric cases are rare, the group age under 12 months has been in general more susceptible to develop severe forms of the disease compared with the patients in the age interval of 1 to 18 years.

Three newborns have been tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. One of them presented bilateral decreased air entry, while the other 2 had no respiratory symptomatology. All 3 developed diaper erythema and oral candidiasis.

For building up the report, newborns that were positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection were included in the case series. The chest X-ray of the symptomatic patient revealed a medium degree of hilar parenchymal infiltration and a slight infiltration of the visceral pleura.

The patients were admitted in our isolated neonatology ward. All of them received antifungal treatment for the oral candidiasis and topic cream for diaper erythema. The symptomatic patient also received prophylactic antibiotherapy, human immunoglobulins, aminophylline, and parenteral nutrition.

All 3 neonates were discharged after 2 consecutive negative tests for SARS-CoV-2. Patients 1 and 2 fully recovered, whereas the condition of patient 3 improved.

Even if there are only a few reported cases of neonates infected with COVID-19 and most of them present mild manifestations, newborns need a more careful insight because of the nonspecific symptomatology.