Covid-19 risk could be 70% higher in pregnant women: Study
February 17, 2021 New study has revealed that pregnant women are at an elevated risk of contracting Covid-19.
The study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, stated that the risk for contracting coronavirus is 70 per cent higher among pregnant women than in similarly aged adults in Washington, United States.
Researcher Kristina Adams Waldorf from the University of Washington in the US said in a statement, “Our data indicates that pregnant people did not avoid the pandemic as we hoped that they would.”
She added, “The higher infection rates in pregnant patients, coupled with an elevated risk for severe illness and maternal mortality due to Covid-19, suggests that pregnancy should be considered a high-risk health condition for Covid-19 vaccine allocation in Phase 1B all across the US.”
Credit: UT Southwestern Medical Center
DALLAS - Feb. 8, 2021 - Pregnant women, who are at increased risk of preterm birth or pregnancy loss if they develop a severe case of COVID-19, need the best possible guidance on whether they should receive a COVID-19 vaccine, according to an article by two UT Southwestern obstetricians published today in
JAMA. That guidance can take lessons from what is already known about other vaccines given during pregnancy.
In the Viewpoint article, Emily H. Adhikari, M.D., and Catherine Y. Spong, M.D., describe how the available safety and effectiveness data, basic science of mRNA vaccines, and long history of successful administering of other vaccines in pregnant women worldwide sets the backdrop for obstetricians to outline the potential benefits of COVID-19 prevention with their patients.