The Philippines’ Youngest Covid-19 Survivor Baby Kobe Passed Away

TANAUAN, KOMPAS.com - The Philippines’ baby Kobe was the country’s youngest Covid-19 survivor after being infected with the virus then conquering it during his first 16 days of life.

Outside of his title, he was Kobe Christ, the second child of Ronnel Manjares and Trisha May Noche.

Trisha had hoped baby Kobe would grow up playing basketball like his father.

Read also: Duterte Warns of Arrests as the Philippines Plans to Increase Covid-19 Testing

The couple from the Philippines named the baby after American basketball legend Kobe Bryant who passed away after a fatal helicopter crash earlier this year.

“I added Christ after he was born on Easter Sunday,” Manjares said.

The young parents prepared for Kobe’s arrival during a challenging time.

Manjares, 26, lost his job as a daily wage construction worker in metropolitan Manila because of the nationwide coronavirus lockdown imposed in mid-March.

They wanted Noche, 19, to give birth in their home province, but the lockdown prevented any travel.

The couple also was advised that it would be safer to have the baby at home instead of a hospital to prevent exposure to the virus.

Read also: Lockdown in the Philippines Reinstated as Health Workers Warn of a Losing Covid-19 Battle

With the help of a traditional birth attendant, Kobe was born on April 12 in the shack near a construction area that his parents already shared with their baby daughter.

Manjares said the delivery went smoothly and that his newborn son “looked healthy and fit.” Noche was happy 15-month-old Crystal now had a brother.

“I want to take care of him, make him grow old properly, so my other child will have a playmate,” Noche recalled thinking.

The family spent Kobe’s first few days together at home. Then, the parents noticed his swollen belly. Their son also was constipated and running a fever. His father took Kobe to the main children’s hospital, where a virus test of the infant came back positive.