A one-year-old child is suspected to be a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic after his mother dismissed fever for ‘teething’. Jess Mitchell from Looe in Cornwall initially thought her son Perran was teething when he suddenly developed a “roaring temperature” on Mother’s Day.
On the afternoon of March 22, the fever became “horrendous”, and the worried mother immediately called the non-emergency number NHS 111 and was put through to a “reassuring” doctor who said the baby “should bounce back”.
According to reports, Perran is expected to make a full recovery, but his mother Mitchell believes that it is important for everyone to know that babies can be carriers of the virus too. Putting the message out for everyone, the mother said: “It was Mother’s Day and he woke up in a bit of funk with temperature, but we thought he was badly teething.
“We got up early to get some fresh air and thought the cold could help with his temperature but did not think much more of it.”
Mitchell, who works in administration for the Devon and Cornwall Police, further continued that in the afternoon after lunch, Perran took a turn for the worse. “He went really lethargic and really cuddly, which was not like him. He then had a horrendous temperature. He had no breathing difficulties or cough but was on fire with his temperature.”
She also claimed that the child’s temperature was more than 39°C (102°F) while the average body temperature is 37°C (98°F). “There is a lot of advice out there, but it is not clear for children and babies. We phoned 111 and after speaking to five different people we got through to a doctor who was really reassuring,” the mother stated as she added, “People think babies won’t get it and it is vital we put the message out they do. They will get it but just might not get the severe repercussions. They can still be carriers though and that is what makes it dangerous.”
The mother said though Perran will recover soon, the infection “has still knocked him for six”.
“He should bounce back, but it has still been a bit of a shock for us all. Perran is still not himself. He is really hot and is jerking awake. He is not really eating. As a mother it has been a horrible thing to go through,” Mitchell mentioned.
The family that also consists of Mitchell’s husband Joe, 33, and daughter Felicity, four, is now following the UK government’s advisory and is practicing isolation entirely for 14 days. The UK prime minister Boris Johnson has announced new measures to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus. He has appealed to the people to leave the house for limited purposes only, such as shopping for essentials and exercising once a day.
Agreeing with the prime minister, Mitchell has also urged people to follow the guidelines. “I urge everyone to follow the guidelines. Anyone can get it, young or old. A baby or healthy 30-year-old might be okay, but it is the vulnerable people they might give it to that will die,” she noted.
