On Sunday, a woman who had been in home quarantine due to having been exposed to coronavirus was admitted to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in order to give birth.
The woman was brought into hospital by a special team from Magen David Adom whose members were fully equipped with protective suits and masks, in accordance with Health Ministry guidelines.
The 35-year-old woman was taken directly to a specially equipped delivery room in a building located at some distance from the main labor ward of the hospital, where she was kept in isolation throughout the birth, save for the presence of two midwives wearing protective clothing. After the baby was born, it was taken away from the mother to be placed in isolation, and the mother was transferred to an isolation ward, accompanied by one of her midwives.
Later that day, the test for coronavirus performed on the woman at the time of her admittance to the hospital came back positive.
Hospital staff sent pictures of the new baby to the mother, reassuring her that the baby was being given a great deal of warmth and special attention due to the difficult circumstances. The doctor monitoring the situation is also updating the mother by telephone.
Director of Hadassah Ein Kerem, Professor Zeev Rothstein noted, "This unusual and moving event illustrates how important it is to have effective communication between MDA teams and Hadassah staff – and how much more so in the current situation."