85 babies under the age of one tested positive for Covid-19 in a single Texas county.

85 babies under 2 years old, including 52 under a year old, in Nueces County in Texas test positive for COVID-19 since mid-March.

85 babies under 2 years old, including 52 under a year old, in Nueces County in Texas test positive for COVID-19 since mid-March. Nueces County's public health director said 85 children under the age of two, including 52 even younger than a year old have tested positive for COVID-19 since testing began on March 21, 2020. This is a cumulative number since mid-march and doesn't represent a sudden surge, clarifies Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales. In the wake of the early reopening of Texas, it is hard for families to isolate young children and family members are passing the virus on to each other. Canales said the county had been 'aggressive' in testing family members of those infected -- particularly in high-risk critical infrastructure jobs -- and suggested that might account for a higher number of positive tests among infants. The Nueces County medical examiner, Adel Shaker told NBC that one infant younger than age 1 died on being taken to the hospital with unrelated symptoms. The child was later diagnosed to have COVID-19; the cause of death is still being ascertained in an autopsy.

In Texas' Nueces County, the number of new coronavirus cases skyrocketed in July after a flattening trend. The virus has infected dozens of babies, and local officials are urging people to follow protective measures. Nueces County has the fastest growth in new cases on the seven-day average than any other metropolitan county in the state," said Peter Zanoni, the Corpus Christi city manager.

In a letter to Gov. Greg Abbot, state representatives Sheila Jackson Lee and Joaquin Castro said that local jurisdictions should be granted the ability to issue stay at home orders to help contain coronavirus cases. They recommended that offices take immediate action to rewind the efforts to reopen the state quickly, which came about by ignoring CDC guidelines. They advocate that local authority be granted to local counties and cities so that they may issue legislation in the best interest of their communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.