Pregnant women appear to be at higher risk for infection by COVID-19, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
The study shows that the infection rate among expectant women in Washington state was 70 percent higher than among adults in the state, EurekAlert reported.
It was also found that infection rates among pregnant women of color were two to four times higher than expected.
“Pregnant women were not protected against COVID-19 in the early months of the pandemic, with the greatest contagion burden in almost all racial / ethnic minority groups,” the researchers wrote.
The study follows 240 pregnant women with COVID-19 in 35 hospitals and clinics from March to June 2020.
Dr. Kristina Adams Waldorf, an OB-GYN 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 vaccination priority.
“Our data indicate that pregnant people did not avoid the pandemic, as we hoped it would happen, and that color communities bear the greatest burden,” Waldorf said.
The study found that pregnant women who were infected had a 3.5 times higher COVID-associated hospitalization rate than the general population in Washington.
The COVID mortality rate was also 13 times higher in pregnant mothers than at similar ages.
“The death toll was shockingly high. We were very surprised about this, “said Waldorf.
“We are seriously concerned that COVID-19 associated maternal deaths have been largely under-counted nationally and that the impact on pregnant patients, especially with underlying conditions, is greater than is currently not appreciated,” she added.
The research also found that most pregnant women with COVID-19 had asymptomatic or mild cases and healthy pregnancies.
Of the 240 pregnant women with infections detected in June, three died of COVID-19, while 24 others were admitted to hospital.
The three who died were from ethnic minority groups, and most of them had other conditions such as obesity and high blood pressure, according to the study.
“Higher infection rates in pregnant patients may be due to the over-representation of women in many occupations and industries that are considered essential during the COVID-19 pandemic – including healthcare, education, service sectors,” said Dr. Erica Lokken, the lead author, said in a statement.
Pfizer / BioNTech on Thursday announced the start of its clinical trial to evaluate the vaccine in pregnant women, according to USA Today.
The trial will enroll about 4,000 healthy pregnant women over the age of 18 in North America, South America, Europe and Africa.
“It is time to take the next step and expand our clinical program to other vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women, to protect them as well as future generations as possible,” said Dr. Özlem Türeci, chief medical officer of BioNTech, said according to the store. .