A six-week-old baby has died in the United States after testing positive for coronavirus.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said that it was with "heartbreaking sadness" that he confirmed the news on Wednesday [April 1]. "It is with heartbreaking sadness today that we can confirm the first pediatric fatality in Connecticut linked to COVID19. A 6-week-old newborn from the Hartford area was brought unresponsive to a hospital late last week and could not be revived," he said. "Testing confirmed last night that the newborn was COVID-19 positive. This is absolutely heartbreaking. We believe this is one of the youngest lives lost anywhere due to complications relating to COVID-19. "This is a virus that attacks our most fragile without mercy. This also stresses the importance of staying home and limiting exposure to other people. Your life and the lives of others could literally depend on it. Our prayers are with the family at this difficult time."

Testing confirmed last night that the newborn was COVID-19 positive. This is absolutely heartbreaking. We believe this is one of the youngest lives lost anywhere due to complications relating to COVID-19. (2/3)

— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) April 1, 2020

This is a virus that attacks our most fragile without mercy. This also stresses the importance of staying home and limiting exposure to other people. Your life and the lives of others could literally depend on it. Our prayers are with the family at this difficult time. (3/3)

— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) April 1, 2020

It comes as Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), said he was "deeply concerned" about the "rapid escalation and global spread of infection." “In the past five weeks, there has been a near-exponential growth in the number of new cases and the number of deaths has more than doubled in the past week,” he said on Wednesday [via New York Times]. “In the next few days we will reach one million confirmed cases and 50,000 deaths worldwide."