These Babies Have Little Face Shields On To Protect Them From The Coronavirus

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They've been born into a world gripped by a viral pandemic that they know nothing about - but that doesn't mean they don't need protection.

Babies born at a hospital in Thailand have been fitted with special plastic face shields to protect them from contamination from the coronavirus.

The masks are designed to stop any droplets with the virus from coughs or sneezes from reaching the baby's face.

In a statement on Facebook, staff at the Praram 9 Hospital in the capital of Bangkok said the masks were being used "because safety is what we care about the most."

Photos from the maternity ward on Thursday showed nurses wearing surgical masks cradling the newborns wrapped in white blankets and wearing the mini visors.

BBC Thailand reported the visors are part of efforts to give new mothers at the hospital "peace of mind."

According to the outlet, the masks aren't to be worn all the time as they could become unhygienic for the newborns. Instead, they're for instances where parents have no other options, such as transporting the babies from the hospital to home.

While the coronavirus has been most deadly for older people, babies are also at risk.

In early February, a woman in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak began, gave birth to a baby with the virus after testing positive for COVID-19.

In the US, officials have said babies in Louisiana and Connecticut have died after contracting the virus, although an official cause of death is still pending in the latter case.

According to data from Thailand's ministry of public health, there have been more than 2,400 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the southeast Asian country with 50 new cases on Friday. At least 33 people have died.

Like countries around the world, Thailand shuttered schools, restaurants, and bars last month in a bid to stop infection.