According to a new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, pregnant women appear to be at increased risk for COVID-19 infection.
The study shows that the infection rate among pregnant women in Washington state was 70 percent higher than that of adults of similar ages 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 during the first months of the pandemic, with the highest burden of infections in almost all racial / ethnic minority groups,” the researchers wrote.
The study followed 240 pregnant women with COVID-19 in 35 hospitals and clinics from March to June 2020.
Dr. Kristina Adams Waldorf, a gynecologic 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 priority of the vaccine.
“Our data indicate that pregnant people did not avoid the pandemic, as we expected them to do, and the communities of color carried the heaviest burden,” Waldorf said.
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, mortality rates for COVID were 13-fold higher in pregnant mothers than in individuals of similar age.
“The death rate was surprisingly high. We were very surprised, ”Waldorf said.
“We are very concerned that maternal deaths associated with COVID-19 have been massively counted nationally and that the impact on pregnant patients, especially with underlying conditions, is greater than has currently been greatly appreciated,” added.
Research also found that most women pregnant with COVID-19 had asymptomatic or mild cases and healthy pregnancies.
Of the 240 pregnant women with infections detected through June, three died from 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 rate in pregnant patients may be due to the over-representation of women in many professions and industries considered essential during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the health, education and services sectors,” said Dr. Erica Lokken , the main author. statement.
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 some 4,000 healthy pregnant women over the age of 18 in North America, South America, Europe and Africa.
“It’s 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, chief physician at BioNTech , according to the medium.