Study shows pregnant women at 70% higher risk of COVID infection

Pregnant individuals in the study were infected with COVID-19 at a 70% higher rate

A new study conducted in Washington state shows that pregnant women are at high risk of contracting COVID-19. The pregnant women involved contracted the coronavirus at a 70 percent higher rate compared to adults of similar age in the area.

The study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, showed that non-white pregnant women support a disproportionate burden when contracting COVID-19.

Researcher Kristina Adams Waldorf, from the University of Washington, USA, said in a statement: “Our data indicate that pregnant women did not prevent the pandemic as we expected. The higher infection rates in pregnant patients, together with an increased risk of serious illness and maternal mortality due to Covid-19, suggests that pregnancy should be considered a high-risk health condition for the allocation of the Covid-19 vaccine in Phase 1B across the US. “

The study’s research team involved 35 hospitals and health clinics to identify 240 pregnant women who contracted COVID-19 from March to June 2020. The team, led by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle, analyzed data from pregnant patients with COVID- 19 and captured 61% of the state’s annual births.

The study estimates that those who gave birth to 13.9 of every 1,000 newborns had COVID-19, compared with 7.3 out of 1,000 state residents aged 20 to 39 years. After excluding 45 cases of coronavirus detected by asymptomatic screening, the infection rate in pregnant women dropped to 11.3 per 1,000 cases.

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“Pregnant women were not protected from COVID-19 in the first months of the pandemic, with the highest infection burden occurring in almost all racial / ethnic minority groups,” wrote the authors. “These data, together with a broader recognition that pregnancy is a risk factor for serious illnesses and maternal mortality, strongly suggests that pregnant women should be given high priority for the allocation of the COVID-19 vaccine in the United States, similar to some States.

Lead researcher Waldorf also asked pregnant women to discuss the risks and benefits of vaccination against Covid-19 with their antenatal care provider.

“We want to use the information in this study to be more prepared for the next pandemic and not to leave pregnant women aside. They need to have a seat at the table when it comes to testing and delivering vaccines, ”she said.

The World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine have agreed that pregnant women who have access to the COVID-19 vaccines should take it.

The study’s researchers say the 70% higher rate in pregnant women may be due in part to the exposure of children in daycare centers, their role as caregivers in an extended family, residency in larger homes and other factors.

“The higher infection rates in pregnant patients may be due to over-representation of women in many professions and sectors considered essential during the COVID-19 pandemic – including health, education, service sectors,” said study author Erica Lokken , PhD.

In general, researchers are asking employees to participate in messages aimed at public health.

“Understanding the geographic, racial / ethnic and linguistic distribution of SARS-CoV-2 infections among pregnant patients would allow targeting the public health response for pregnant women at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated adverse maternal-fetal outcomes . ”

See the original article at ScaryMommy.com