COVID-19 during pregnancy and its impacts on perinatal health

Abstract

n this review, we reviewed current literature on COVID-19 infection during pregnancy and provided up-to-date information and community/society recommendations. Although it has previous examples such as SARS and MERS and the infection findings appeared at an earlier period and have become known in China, the infection could not be limited and spread worldwide. Until June 8, 2020, a total of 6.8 million cases were reported and 397,000 cases died. As of the same date, the total case number in Turkey is 171,000 and total number of death is 4711. COVID-19 virus spread by droplets and its incubation period varies between 2 and 14 days. The rate of asymptomatic cases is 42% in non-pregnant patients while it is 44–89% in pregnant women. The disease progresses with mild-medium severity in about 80% of the patients, and it recovers by itself. A total of 17 maternal death cases has been reported. Although vertical transmission risk is very low according to a study investigating 265 pregnant women, there are cases showing fetal vertical transmission and we reviewed such cases in detail in this review.