Pregnant women appear to be at increased risk of COVID-19 infection, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
The study shows that the infection rate among pregnant women in Washington state was 70 percent higher than in adults of similar age in the state, EurekAlert reported.
He also found that infection rates among pregnant women of color were two to four times higher than expected.
“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 researchers.
The study followed 240 pregnant women with COVID-19 in 35 hospitals and clinics from March to June 2020.
Dr. Kristina Adams Waldorf, an obstetrician at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said the study provides more evidence that pregnancy should be considered a high-risk health condition for the vaccine’s priority.
“Our data indicates that pregnant women have not prevented the pandemic as we expected, and communities of color have borne the greatest burden,” said Waldorf.
The study found that pregnant women who were infected had a hospitalization rate associated with COVID 3.5 times higher than the general population of similar age in Washington state.
In addition, COVID mortality rates were 13 times higher in pregnant mothers than in individuals of similar ages.
“The death rate was shockingly high. We were very surprised by this, ”said Waldorf.
“We are seriously concerned that maternal deaths associated with COVID-19 have been underestimated across the country and that the impact on pregnant patients, especially with underlying diseases, is greater than currently underestimated,” she added.
The research also found that the majority of pregnant women with COVID-19 had mild or asymptomatic cases and healthy pregnancies.
Of the 240 pregnant women with infections detected by June, three died of COVID-19, while another 24 were hospitalized.
The three who died were from minority ethnic groups and most of them had other conditions, such as obesity and hypertension, according to the study.
“The higher infection rates in pregnant patients may be due to over-representation of women in many professions and sectors deemed essential during the COVID-19 pandemic – including health, education, service sectors,” said Dr. Erica Lokken, the lead author, in a demonstration.
On Thursday, Pfizer / BioNTech announced the start of its clinical trial to evaluate the vaccine in pregnant women, according to USA Today.
The trial will enroll nearly 4,000 healthy pregnant women over 18 in North America, South America, Europe and Africa.
“It is time to take the next step and extend our clinical program to other vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women, to potentially protect them and future generations,” said Dr. Özlem Türeci, medical director at BioNTech, according to the outlet .