Report on a lactating patient with COVID-19

We report the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in a lactating patient in Chizhou, Anhui Province, China. The lactating patient presented with intermittent fever for 16 days and cough for 10 days. Given her travel history to the epidemic area and the chest CT scan results, the patient was immediately admitted to the isolation ward of the Infectious Disease Department and breastfeeding was discontinued. Pharyngeal swab specimens tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, previously known as 2019-nCoV) in nucleic acid testing. During hospitalization, she also experienced bilateral breast tenderness. After active treatment, the patient ultimately achieved remission and was discharged from the hospital.

SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted mainly through respiratory droplets and patient contact, rendering the general population to a high risk of infection. The management of mother-child interactions and breastfeeding in women with COVID-19 is a difficult problem. The purpose of this case report is to help clinicians by improving the understanding of COVID-19, particularly in lactating patients.