What a woman who is pregnant and has COVID-19 should do first
There are specific steps that COVID-19-infected mothers-to-be should take while they are pregnant. Getting vaccinated and staying alone are two of these steps. Also, pregnant health care workers should follow the rules for preventing infections and assessing risks. ACOG and SMFM are two groups that use guidelines from the CDC.
Signs that a pregnant woman has COVID-19 infection
COVID-19 infection during pregnancy is a severe medical problem that could endanger the mother’s life. When a woman gets the virus, she is more likely to give birth early or have a preterm delivery. This infection can also cause other problems, such as preeclampsia, which can cause high blood pressure and may require an emergency c-section. In addition to these risks, pregnant women are more likely to get other health problems, like diabetes or high blood pressure.
They searched for relevant studies with the words “coronavirus” and “coronavirus disease-19.” They also looked for stories that had pregnant women in them.
One study found that women with COVID-19 infection are six times more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit than women without the infection. It also found that the risks to the mother and fetus increased significantly after delivery, even though the mother and fetus may not have any symptoms. For example, in a study of 675 women in three New York hospitals, nine pregnant women infected with COVID-19 developed one or more of the three complications of COVID-19 infection after giving birth. These complications include fever, low blood oxygen, and returning to the hospital. The results are scary because a woman is more likely to get respiratory viral infections when pregnant, and pregnant women are especially likely to get these infections.
Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is a good idea.
The study, which came out in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology on August 9, 2021, found that women who got the COVID-19 vaccine did not have any problems with their pregnancies, such as stillbirths, early births, or babies that were smaller than expected. The researchers also didn’t find any significant differences in how the fetus grew or other congenital disabilities.
More and more evidence shows that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 while pregnant can protect the mother and the baby from the virus. During pregnancy, some antibodies may pass through the placenta and protect the unborn child from the virus. Two to three months later, these antibodies can still be found in the blood of both the mother and the baby.
Pregnant women with COVIV-19 should think about getting vaccinated against COVIV-19. Obstetricians should support a woman’s choice and help her make a well-informed choice. She might worry about the vaccine’s safety, but she should consider how sick she could get from the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Isolation
Since pregnant women can pass COVID-19 to other pregnant women, it is essential to keep pregnant women who have COVID-19 away from other pregnant women. Isolation will not only stop COVID from spreading but also lower the risks to the fetus.
An infection with COVID-19 can make you very sick. It can also cause babies to come early. Women who have COVID-19 may need to go to the hospital. Even though there is no known link between a COVID infection and a miscarriage, the infection can cause a baby or a miscarriage to happen early.
A woman with COVID-19 who is pregnant should give birth in a maternity unit run by a doctor. So she can get the care that is more tailored to her needs. When caring for her baby, she should also wear a mask. The health care team will make sure that the mother and baby are in a clean place.
When a pregnant woman has COVID-19 symptoms, she should call her obstetrician as soon as possible. A severe chest infection could be present if the person takes longer to get better and has severe symptoms.
How to take care of a baby who has COVID-19
Care for a baby who has the COVID-19 virus needs to be done with a lot of care and attention. The mother and anyone in the family should try not to touch the baby, and the mother should wash her hands before touching the baby. She should also wear a mask when she cares for the baby by hand. Caregivers should also wear masks and use hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol when caring for a newborn.
Experts worldwide and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have come up with guidelines for how to care for a baby with COVD-19. These guidelines are based on data collected in the first few months of the current coronavirus pandemic. For example, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a report about the birth outcomes of 598 pregnant women with COVID-19.
COVID-19 is not related to either SARS or MERS, but pregnant women who have it are more likely to get very sick.