In November, a mother in Singapore who contracted COVID-19 in March, gave birth to a baby boy born with the same protective antibodies against the virus that she did. 

    The mother, Celine Ng-Chan, felt shocked when she found out her newborn baby already had COVID-19 antibodies.

    Evidence indicates the virus can be transmitted through breast milk and placenta fluid through various studies, including multiple done by Harvard University.

    “If the mom is pregnant and gets COVID, there is studies that the antibodies can cross percentile and for the baby to get the antibody,” a pharmacist at Jackson South Medical Center, Elham Hendi said.

    Although many questions have arisen around COVID-19, scientists have uncovered many of the medical mysteries that have come up in the first year of the virus’ existence. 

    “Now they have to see if the baby is prone to get the COVID or not because the antibody, now they can study to see how long, because they still don’t know if somebody develops the antibody and how long it will last in the body,” Hendi said. “In the beginning they would say 4 months and then it was 6 months and now some studies have shown it could last up to a year.” 

    Ng-Chan was ten weeks pregnant when she first contracted the virus as it began picking up traction. Despite this, her delivery was successful and healthy. 

    The virus is still relatively new, so additional information regarding studies is being released everyday. 

    “[In] A year they have discovered a lot but I believe they have a lot more to discover,” Hendi said.