Coronavirus: Mum’s heartbreaking wait to find out if newborn baby has deadly disease

An “utterly heartbroken” mum is enduring a gut-wrenching wait to find out if her tiny son has coronavirus after he was rushed to hospital.

Little Leo Doyle, who is just 10 weeks old and was born eight weeks prematurely, began vomiting blood on Sunday.

He was rushed to Arrowe Park Hospital, where doctors began to suspect he was showing signs of Covid-19.

When his condition improved, mum Nadine Challinor told the Liverpool Echo, he was allowed to return home - but last night his temperature spiked.

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Nadine Challinor with baby son Leo Doyle, who is just 10 weeks old (Liverpool Echo)

Nadine and her partner, Mark Doyle, rushed him back to hospital where he has been swabbed for the disease.

Mum-of-three Nadine was told Leo may also need a lumbar puncture to test for meningitis.

The 29-year-old carer said: “Obviously being told he might have Covid-19 or meningitis, I have just never been so worried in all my life.

“But he’s had everything thrown at him, he’s fought it all. We were on the special care baby unit for four weeks when he was born, he’s fought bronchiolitis, he’s fought it all.

Nadine Challinor has spoken of her anxiety after her son was taken ill (Liverpool Echo)

“You see on the news all the time that it affects older people, and we didn’t know if babies could get it but that is what the doctors are saying.”

Babies and young children do not appear to be at high risk of severe illness caused by coronavirus - but there have been exceptions reported around the world.

Nadine says Leo can still not keep a bottle down and medics have been discussing placing him on an IV drip.

She said doctors have told her they fear Leo may have Covid-19 - and the anxious family may need to wait around two days for results.

Nadine and Mark’s nightmare began on Mother’s Day when Leo began vomiting and could not keep his bottles down.

She said: “He had been coughing and snuffly, but the GP told us it was a common cold.

“Then on Mother’s Day that’s when we had to rush him to hospital.

“He was being sick, bringing every single bottle up and between bottles as well. I was in the bath and Mark came running up the stairs saying he had found blood in his sick.

“It was not loads but it was enough for us to seek help.”