Authors: Shamila Ijaz Munir , Amna Ahsan , Sofia Iqbal , Summera Aslam , Tayyaba Tahira , Sodat Alqai

Abstract

Background and Objective: The pandemic caused by Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is notably becoming similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome viruses (MERS) for causing poor feto-maternal outcome. There is not much data available about COVID-19 during pregnancy in Pakistan therefore the objective of this study is to determine maternal and fetal outcome in pregnant women affected with COVID-19 and to find out frequency of vertical transmission. Methods: This descriptive case series was conducted from 1st April 2020 to 10th May 2020 at Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, COVID ward, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore. A total of 20 women were included in the study that were found positive for viral RNA by Real-Time Reverse TranscriptionPolymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-PCR) of nasopharyngeal specimens. Demographics, duration of gestation, fetomaternal outcome and vertical transmission were noted in the respected proformas. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Results: The mean age of these gravid females was 29.3 ± 4.17 years. The mean gravidity was 2.60 ± 1.14 and mean gestational age was 29 ± 9.53 weeks. Among 20 patients, 4(20%) were primigravida, 5(25%) females were gravida 2 and remaining 11(55%) cases were gravida 3 and 4. The most common presenting complaints were fever followed by dry cough, myalgia and shortness of breath. Nine patients were delivered by lower segment cesarean section in which fetal distress was observed in 5(55.6%) newborns and 1(10%) newborn was preterm. Among all newborns, 02 developed respiratory distress syndrome and were admitted in pediatric intensive care unit. All pharyngeal swabs of newborns were negative at 12 and 24 hours of life. Conclusion: COVID-19 in pregnant females is not different than in general population. The fetomaternal outcome is usually good and there is no evidence of vertical transmission in any newborn.

Keywords: Pregnancy, COVID-19, Fetomaternal outcome, Fetal distress, Vertical transmission.