PHOENIX — Just a few weeks after their son was born, a Phoenix family says they received an unsettling diagnosis. They say their little baby tested positive for the coronavirus at around 6-weeks-old.
After spending a little time in the hospital, the family says the little baby is home and is doing well.
Dad, Sidney Cisneroz, said little King Almighty was born healthy. But just weeks after his birth, the baby’s grandpa and great aunt both died of COVID-19.
Cisneroz said his young son had been exposed to his grandpa and says he noticed troubling symptoms in his baby too.
“Initially he was spitting up blood, that’s why we took him to the emergency (room),” Cisneroz said. His wife then stayed with their son at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, he said.
“The possibilities of what I was thinking was endless," Cisneroz said. "That I might lose him.”
Dr. Wassim Ballan, a pediatric infectious diseases physician at Phoenix Children's Hospital, says while children generally recover well from the virus, there is concern for younger infants.
“Because we know that their immune system is not mature enough to handle infections," Ballan said. "So far we have not seen a lot of patients with that disease.”
Cisneroz said King Almighty is getting better every day, but the healing process has been long and tiring.
“Things that I never thought I’d have to be concerned about, but in today’s time, that’s just the way it is," Cisneroz said.
Ballan says there’s still a lot of research in the works and it’s best to contact your pediatrician if you think any young ones in your family may be sick with COVID-19.
Ballan also recommends continuing to practice all of the CDC recommendations, like physical distancing, hand washing, and age-appropriate face coverings.