The risk of serious illness and death from Covid-19 in pregnant women is much higher than in non-pregnant women – Observer

Previously it was suspected, now the condemnation is strong: pregnant women with Covid-19 have a significantly higher risk of developing serious diseases and even dying than non-pregnant women of the same age and even with Covid-19. However, the risk of serious illness and death is significantly lower than that of older patients or associated serious illnesses.

The conclusion is from a study published by the leading public health institution in the United States of America, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In a survey conducted by a group of 11 researchers, the impacts of the development of Covid-19 disease on more than 400,000 (409,462) women aged 15 to 44 and with symptoms were assessed. Of these, more than 23,000 (23,434) were pregnant.

Although the likelihood of developing serious illness remains low in women under 45 – and the likelihood of death is even lower – the researchers concluded that the impact of Covid-19 is greater in pregnant women in this age group. compared to women of the same age but not pregnant.

COVID-19. Transmission during pregnancy is rare and there are only about 10 recorded cases worldwide

Pregnant women are at greater risk of having to be treated in intensive care units, they need assisted ventilation and, above all, of dying in front of women with the same disease and age who are not pregnant: the risk of death for women pregnant under 45 is 70% higher than that of sick women with symptoms but not pregnant.

We are now saying that seriously ill women are at a greater risk of developing serious illness [do que as não grávidas]. Previously, we said they “may be” at an increased risk of developing serious illness. The absolute risk of serious consequences is low in women aged 15 to 44, regardless of whether they are pregnant or not, but what we see is an increased risk associated with pregnancy, “said one of the study’s authors and one of the CDC expert, Sascha Ellington, quoted by the New York Times

In all, according to the New York Times, this study estimates that the risk of death in pregnant women between the ages of 15 and 44 is 1.7 times higher than that of non-pregnant women with the same characteristics and symptoms.