Study: Most pregnant patients tested positive for Covid were asymptomatic

Overview

• Post By : Kumar Jeetendra


• Source: Mount Sinai Health System


• Date: 12 Dec,2020

The pregnant patients who tested positive for the coronavirus were also more likely than those who tested negative to identify as Hispanic and report their primary language as Spanish.

In a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of worldwide screenings for SARS-Cov-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, implemented in the labor and delivery unit of Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, New York, during March and April, the researchers found that over one-third of almost 130 pregnant women tested positive for the coronavirus.

This is a far higher proportion than reported at other hospitals in new york during the pandemic surge, and probably related to social inequities experienced by the surrounding population. The majority, or 72 percent, of the pregnant patients that tested positive were asymptomatic, meaning they didn’t display any symptoms related to COVID-19. These findings add to the evidence that there was premature and rampant asymptomatic spread of the disease in a time when most community and hospital testing was limited to symptomatic individuals.

This study is instructive for other labor and delivery units and hospitals across the world as we continue to refine pandemic preparedness. In future epidemics, it may be prudent to look at labor and delivery screening numbers much earlier on, as pregnant women continue to seek essential care despite social distancing measures and also represent the general young and healthy community population.”

Sheela Maru, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Global Health, and Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Dr. Maru said universal screening at the labor and delivery unit ensured safety of patients and staff during an acute surge in COVID-19 infections through appropriate identification and isolation of pregnant women with positive test results. Women were roomed by their status and were provided postpartum counselling and follow-up protocols tailored for their particular social needs.

In addition to their standing for COVID-19, the study reviewed patients’ demographic data such as age, ethnicity, primary language, zip code, marital status, and health insurance status, and clinical information including the mode of delivery, length of stay, and comorbidities such as chronic hypertension, preeclampsia, prepregnancy obesity, asthma, diabetes, depression, and anxiety.