3-year-old child tests positive for coronavirus in India
A man holds a child while wearing facemasks amid fears of the spread of COVID-19 novel coronavirus, as they sit in a street market in McLeod Ganj near Dharamshala on March 9. (AFP Photo)


Indian officials confirmed Monday that a 3-year-old child has tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the southern state of Kerala, making it the first such case in the country.

Two more cases of coronavirus were confirmed in India, taking the total infections in the country to 41. This included the 3-year-old with a travel history from Italy and a 63-year-old woman, who visited Iran, reports said.

The child, along with its parents, arrived in India on March 7 from Italy. After symptoms of coronavirus infection were detected in the child in a thermal screening, they were immediately taken to isolation in a hospital.

Children appeared to be less affected by the coronavirus than other groups while the risk was highest for elderly people.