6-week-old baby dies of coronavirus in US

A six-week-old baby girl has died of coronavirus in the US state of Connecticut, Governor Ned Lamont said on Thursday, stressing that the death is a reminder that "nobody is safe with this virus" as the COVID-19 cases there crossed 3,500.

A report in the Hartford Courant newspaper quoted officials as saying that the infant arrived at the hospital unresponsive and tested positive for the coronavirus post-mortem.

“Probably the youngest person ever to die of COVID here in Connecticut. That baby was a less than seven weeks old. And it just is a reminder that nobody is safe with this virus,” Lamont said.

Lamont said that the state recorded a “tragic milestone” with the death of the infant.

The governor, in a tweet, said that the baby from the Hartford area was brought unresponsive to a hospital late last week and could not be revived.

"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," he said.

"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," Lamont said.

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said, “our hearts break for that family, and our prayers are with the families of all of those who have lost loved ones and all of those affected by this ongoing epidemic.”

Earlier, the youngest Connecticut resident to die of COVID-19 was a 35-year-old man, the report said.

The state has 3,557 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 85 people have died of the disease.

About 766 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized in the state.

The news report said that a model prepared by the University of Washington projects that as the coronavirus hits a peak in Connecticut on April 15, hospitals here will fall dramatically short on available beds.

In Connecticut, it foresees a peak of 41 single-day deaths in mid-April, before the numbers taper off during May and hit zero before the start of June. As many as 1,100 residents could die of the disease.

According to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, the number of Americans to have been infected by coronavirus stood at 214,000, and 5,093 had lost their lives from the deadly disease.