Every woman feels most vulnerable to diseases during her pregnancy. She is always alerted and alarmed. For sure, every decision of hers is taken after considering at least one specific question. 'This will have any effect on my pregnancy?' Today we all are aware of a growing COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Let's discuss, 'Does Coronavirus have any effect on pregnancy?'

Firstly, we would like to share with you that it's a new disease. No doctor or medical branch in the world has any knowledge about this disease. Tests, researches, and trails are being done.  Till now, there is no derived factual or cause-effect information on this issue. There are claims and observations by medical experts, which are being debated, tested, and further observed. The first coronavirus case was found on 17 November 2019 in Wuhan (according to Chinese media), but it didn't get international attention till early 2020.

Till now, there are only a handful of cases where females during pregnancy/delivery have had coronavirus. From them, only in one case the infant also had coronavirus when her mom did. In the rest cases, many of them had a preterm delivery. Overall, in all the cases there wasn't any deformity, disability, or heredity coronavirus symptoms in the baby except for one.
So experts are finding if there's any relation between pregnant females having coronavirus and preterm births. Preterm births have been present long before since coronavirus. So, doctors advise that couples shouldn't panic, only after research they can state whether this was coincidence or consequence. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • I am pregnant, does this affect my chances of having a coronavirus? 
    No such relationship has been established yet. We can only say that as long as you are avoiding a social gathering and staying indoors your chances are minimal.
     
  • I am pregnant, I have a pet, and also, I consume meat. Is it a risky thing in coronavirus?
    We won't say that it's risky, but it does increase the intensity of necessity for precautions. Make sure your pet also remains inside the house, whenever you spend time with it, wash your hands and face properly. Animals can get COVID-19, but whether they can or can't pass it on to humans is questionable. Other than that, during pregnancy, you have limited options of meat to choose from. It's a misconception that nonveg should be ignored during these times. A virus needs a host to grow and simply can't grow on food, in case of meat, you need to make sure that it is well cooked. It should be cooked for a minimum of half an hour and above 60-degree celsius.
     
  • If pregnant than can COVID-19 cause miscarriage?
    As we have discussed so far, it's a new virus and very limited research has been done in comparison to pregnancy. Till now, no such case has been found, so at the moment it isn't proved that a miscarriage has been solely possible because of Coronavirus.
     
  • If I get infected from coronavirus, what is the risk of passing the virus onto my fetus or newborn?
    As we have mentioned earlier that till now there's only one reported case of a newborn baby being infected from coronavirus. Medical experts haven't stated whether the infant got it from the mother inside the womb or outside or by any other mode. Considering the other normal deliveries, till now has not passed on inside the womb, or through the amniotic fluid or breast milk.

Some Precautions:

Stay Home- In many countries there has been an official shutdown, but still not in India. Apart from work or necessary shopping avoid going out, especially in crowded areas.

Keep A Distance- Even when under house arrest, keep a distance from other family members, friends, and even pets. This is done because even if your closed ones come into contact or have even the slightest chance of being infected, then you remain safe for their further care.

Be Serious- Social media has a lot of trolling and jokes on this pandemic, but maturity lies in understanding what's entertainment and what's real. Many messages and rumors are being spread across multiple platforms, only consume knowledge from a reliable medical source.

Call- Avoid meeting people and use technology. Apart from audio, we have video calls too. Doctors even state to call before visiting them. This is because if you think that whether you or the diseased person has symptoms of coronavirus, then before visit doctors can take necessary precautions in their clinic. 

Cough and Sneeze- Apart from this pandemic, many other viral infections can also get spread through coughing and sneezing. Have a handkerchief or tissue with you (wash in hot water, in case of a handkerchief).

Clean Your Hands Often- Cultivate a habit of washing your hands often. Use soap and warm water, rinse for at least 20 seconds. For this, you can also use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer ( one with at least 60% alcohol).