Baby born with antibodies in Singapore – world news

A Singaporean woman, who was infected with coronavirus in March while pregnant, gave birth to a baby with antibodies to the virus, offering new clue as to whether the infection can be transferred from the mother to the child.

The baby was born this month without Covid-19 but with antibodies to the virus, the Straits Times newspaper reported on Sunday, citing the mother. “My doctor suspects that I transferred my Covid-19 antibodies to him during my pregnancy,” Céline Ng-Chan told the newspaper. Ng-Chan had been mildly ill with the illness and was discharged from hospital after two and a half weeks, the Straits Times reported.

The World Health Organization says it is not yet known whether a pregnant woman with Covid-19 can transmit the virus to her fetus or baby during pregnancy or childbirth.

To date, the active virus has not been found in samples of fluid around the baby in the womb or in breast milk.

Chinese doctors have reported the detection and decline over time of Covid-19 antibodies in babies born to women with coronavirus disease, according to an article published in October in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

China, meanwhile, said import requests from Chilean seafood producer Pesquera Isla Del Rey SA will be suspended for a week after a test on the packaging of a batch of frozen crab showed positive results for the pathogen.

South Korean officials announced a ban on holiday season and some music lessons on Sunday and said public saunas and some cafes were also to close after the coronavirus infections spike.

Hong Kong reported 115 new infections, the first time it has seen triple-digit cases since August 2. The government announced Sunday that classes in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools would be closed for the rest of the year due to the situation.

In the United States, San Francisco followed Los Angeles in imposing tighter restrictions as the country added 153,035 new cases on Saturday. New York City authorities shut down an illegal nightclub where nearly 400 people broke social distancing rules to party. A mink farm in Oregon has reported cases of Covid in some staff and at least 10 mink.

London police said on Saturday they had made 155 arrests as they tried to break down anti-lockout and anti-vaccine protests. Police said the arrests were made for various offenses, including assaulting a police officer.