Coronavirus: Parents of Covid-19 positive baby cannot see son

The parents of a premature baby with coronavirus are unable to see their newborn son after his father also tested positive for Covid-19.

Three-week-old Shay was born nearly seven weeks early at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

Nine days after leaving the neonatal unit he tested positive for the virus and was admitted to intensive care.

The hospital trust said its policies on admitting visitors with Covid-19 was in line with government guidance.

Shay was taken to hospital in an ambulance on Monday after he stopped breathing.

When he arrived he tested positive for coronavirus and was put on a ventilator in intensive care to help him breathe.

Shay's father Liam Hanrahan, 29, said he was initially told by doctors that he could stay at the hospital and isolate with his son.

"They said because I'd been in contact with him I wasn't allowed to leave the ward - they had a parents' room set up for me," he said.

Mr Hanrahan requested a coronavirus test for himself and said: "Not once did they say that I'd have to leave the hospital if I had a positive test.

"When my test came back positive they said they had sought advice and I had to leave."

He is now isolating at home with Shay's mother, Sarah Sturgess, 34, who is waiting for her Covid test results.

Both parents now face being separated from their son for at least 10 days.

A spokesperson for the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust said: "In line with government guidance, we have restricted visiting in our hospitals for the safety of patients and staff.

"In our children's hospital, one parent is permitted to stay with a child patient at all times, but in line with our policy, people who test positive for Covid-19 or have Covid-19 symptoms are unable to attend as a visitor or carer as this presents risks, particularly to vulnerable patients.

"We understand that everyone's situation is different and consider compassionate grounds on a case-by-case basis wherever it is safe to do so."

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