Atlanta Woman Is Separated from Her Newborn Preemie Baby over Coronavirus Fears

On Monday, an Atlanta couple was informed that from Tuesday, they wouldn’t be allowed to visit their babies. The rule was put in place to protect the children from exposure to the coronavirus.

According to Juan and Kim Flores of Atlanta, the Northside Hospital would no longer allow visitors from this week. The couple’s son Nico is in the NICU at the hospital.

Last Friday, the premature baby boy weighed in at four pounds. He was born at the hospital on March 10, 2020, and was weighing a little over three pounds.

Parents understand why they can’t visit

His parents have only gotten to see him on FaceTime because of the new rule. Speaking to “Good Morning America,” Juan described the experience as “hard.”

We're making the best of the situation

His wife, Kim, had this to add: “On an intellectual level we know it's the right choice.” She explained that as a mother it was difficult for her to not be able to feed Nico and get to know him.

An emotional journey for the Flores’

Kim continued saying: “It’s very emotional. There's been a lot of tears." The Flores’ only get to see their baby boy twice daily via Facetime and they’re grateful for the time.

The new rule came into effect not only to protect the babies but the staff members at the hospital too. Juan noted how the new policy made sense because of someone who hasn’t practiced social distancing has the virus they could infect the doctors and nurses.

Doing the best they can

If the medical professionals got ill, then there would be no one to take care of his child. Juan shared that he understood where the hospital was coming from and that they were "making the best of the situation.”

Nico will be home soon enough

Nico is doing well according to his parents. They expect to have him home soon but not a second before he’s ready.

Who the new hospital policy affects

The new policy mainly affects some Northside hospitals in Georgia, however, New York-Presbyterian hospitals have also enforced a new rule. The hospitals have banned pregnant women from having partners in the delivery room.

Minimizing COVID-19 infections

The rule was created to try and minimize the reach of the COVID-19 outbreak. These hospitals have also banned all visitors for patients who are over the age of 18.

Child infected with virus

In other news, baby Emmarie Grace Waltman has been placed in isolation after one of the nurses recently tested positive for COVID-19 in an Alabama hospital. When the baby’s father, Brandon, went to see her on Monday, he found her in a separate room.

The parent said he “felt like it was inevitable” that his daughter could become infected even though the NICU doctors and nurses wore gloves and masks. Luckily, the little girl’s COVID-19 test came back negative.