Study shows pregnant people with 70% higher risk of COVID infection

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

A new study from the state of Washington shows that those who are pregnant have an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. The pregnant women involved contracted the coronavirus at a higher rate of 70 percent compared to adults in the same area.

The study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, showed that non-white pregnant people have an excessive burden of contracting COVID-19.

Researcher Kristina Adams Waldorf of the University of Washington in the USA said in a statement: ‘Our data indicate that pregnant people did not avoid the pandemic, as we hoped it would happen. The higher infection rates in pregnant patients, coupled with an increased risk of serious illness and maternal mortality due to Covid-19, indicate that pregnancy as a high-risk health condition for the provision of Covid-19 vaccine in Phase 1B across the US should be considered. . ”

The research team of the study involved 35 hospitals and health clinics to identify 240 pregnant women who contracted COVID-19 as of March-June 2020. The team, led by researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle, collected data from the pregnant COVID -19 patients 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 of the 1,000 state residents aged 20 to 39 years. After excluding 45 coronavirus cases detected by asymptomatic examination, the infection rate in pregnant women dropped to 11.3 per 1000 cases.

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“Pregnant women were not protected against COVID-19 in the early months of the pandemic, with the greatest burden of infection in almost all racial / ethnic minority groups,” the authors wrote. “These data, coupled with a broader recognition that pregnancy is a risk factor for serious illnesses, and maternal mortality strongly suggest that pregnant women in general should be prioritized for the granting of COVID-19 vaccines in the US, similar to some countries.”

Lead researcher Waldorf also asked pregnant women to discuss the risks and benefits of vaccinating Covid-19 with their care company.

‘We want to use information from this study to be more prepared for the next pandemic and not to set aside pregnant women. “They have to sit at the table when it comes to vaccine trials and vaccination awards,” she added.

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

The researchers of the study say that the higher percentage of pregnant people with 70% may be due in part to exposure to children in day care, their role as caregivers within an extended family, living in larger households and other factors.

“Higher infection rates in pregnant patients may be due to the over-representation of women in many occupations and industries considered essential during the COVID-19 pandemic, including healthcare, education, service sectors,” said author Erica Lokken, PhD. .

In general, the researchers call on officials to go on board with targeted messages about public health.

“Understanding the geographical, racial / ethnic and language distribution of SARS-CoV-2 infections among pregnant patients will make it possible to understand the public health response to pregnant women at greatest risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated adverse outcomes. of mother and fetus. “

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