Can Coronavirus Affect Pregnancy or Newborns? Here ’s What the Experts Say

More than 130 million women give birth around the world each year. During pregnancy, changes in the immune system make women generally more susceptible to respiratory infections. And this year, pregnant women also have to worry about COVID-19, a virus that can affect a person’s lungs and airways. The U.K. government announced on Monday that pregnant women were at an increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19). Speaking at a press conference, Public Health England chief medical officer Chris Whitty said people in the “high risk” category should stay at home for 12 weeks. (That includes people over 70, people with underlying health conditions and pregnant women.) Whitty described the advice to pregnant women as “a precautionary measure” because “we are early in our understanding of this virus and we want to be sure.” However, this doesn’t square with guidance issued by other public health officials. During a press briefing on March 16, the World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “there is no evidence that pregnant women present with different signs or symptoms or are at higher risk of severe illness.” According to Dr. Amir Khan, a general practitioner in England’s northern city of Bradford and a senior lecturer at both Leeds and Bradford University, “anyone who is immunocompromised, such as pregnant women, are at an increased risk of developing things ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Explainer Londontime Source Type: news