A young mum has shared the symptoms her baby showed before being rushed to hospital with Covid-19, saying she had no idea the signs were an indication of coronavirus.
Baby George, four-months-old was taken to hospital after becoming seriously ill and spent three nights in Basildon Hospital, Essex.
Mum Myer Rudelhoff said Georhe was vomiting, had patchy skin, swelling lips and a high temperature and was struggling to keep fluids down.
She told the BBC : "I thought it was a sickness bug. I had no idea it was caused by coronavirus."
Myer first found little George had a temperature of 39.4 on New Year's Eve before he began vomiting the next night, with his mum calling NHS 111 on January 2.
The call operator advised the baby be taken to hospital but Myer was initially reluctant, worrying he may catch Covid having "no idea he had it" already.
"He got so poorly so quickly when we arrived and was really lethargic," she said.
"They took a swab and, when they said he was positive, I burst into tears. It was such a shock."
Myer said nurses told her they had treated multiple children with the same mottled skin and sickness before encouraging her to share her story to warn other parents.
Her subsequent Facebook post was shared nearly 7,000 times within three days.
Dr Kilali Ominu-Evbota, paediatric consultant at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, told the BBC George's family "did the right thing" and urged other parents to seek medical advice via 111 or their GP.
