This case report details vertical transmission of COVID-19 from a pregnant mother to her newbown, even with immediate isolation after birth.

Most of the descriptions of COVID-19 cases in pregnancy show mild illness and no transmission to neonates. This report details a 41-year-old mother with a history of previous c-sections and diabetes mellitus who presented at 33 weeks gestation with a 4-day history of malaise, low-grade fever, and progressive shortness of breath. Her PCR was positive and serological testing was negative. She went into respiratory failure and needed mechanical ventilation on day 5 of disease.

She had another c-section, and the neonate was isolated immediately after birth, without delayed cord clamping or skin-to-skin contact. The baby’s nasopharyngeal swab, 16 hours after delivery, was positive by PCR, and serologies were negative. The mother’s IgM and IgG were positive by postpartum day 4 (day 9 of symptoms).