Adverse effect of Coronavirus on pregnant women across the globe

New Delhi : Getting infected with coronavirus is one of the biggest nightmares one can have in current times. While a normal person shows symptoms in about five days and recover with proper care in two weeks, things are different for women who are pregnant and diagnosed with the COVID-19 infection.

Researchers have found that the symptoms for pregnant women with Covid-19 can be prolonged, lasting two months or longer. In the study, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, the research team analysed the clinical course and outcomes of 594 women who tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus during pregnancy.

During the study, it was found that the pregnant women showed early symptoms like cough, sore throat, body ache and fever. Even after three to four weeks of care, many of the participants were still showing symptoms and 25 per cent had symptoms even after eight weeks.

"We found that pregnant people with Covid-19 can expect a prolonged time with symptoms," said study senior author Vanessa L Jacoby from the University of California San Francisco in the US.

"Covid-19 symptoms during pregnancy can last a long time, and have a significant impact on health and wellbeing," Jacoby added.

Study participants tested positive between March 22 and July 10 and had a mean age of 31 years. The average gestational age at the time of enrolment in the study was approximately 24 weeks.

It has also been found that the median age of recovery from the virus and symptoms in the participants was around 37 days.

“The majority of participants in our study population had mild disease and were not hospitalised. Even so, it took a median of 37 days for symptoms to ease,” the study authors wrote.

“Our results can help pregnant people and their clinicians better understand what to expect with Covid-19 infection,” they noted.

(Quotes taken from a report by IANS)