What Should You Do if You Tested COVID Positive During Pregnancy?

What Should You Do if You Tested COVID Positive During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is both a joyful and stressful moment in one’s life. Your mind is racing with a slew of questions and concerns, ranging from minor (but not trivial – there are no trivial inquiries while you’re pregnant) to major.

Preparing for a new baby amid a pandemic can be stressful for expecting parents.

Unfortunately, it’s still too early to make any firm conclusions about the novel coronavirus’s impact on pregnant women and their newborns. Here we have shared some notable information in this article.

1. Does COVID-19 have a different effect on pregnant women?

Recent research suggests that pregnant people are more likely than non-pregnant people to develop severe disease and have worse outcomes from COVID-19, including intensive care hospitalization, the need for a ventilator, and death. Women of race, notably African-American and Hispanic women, face greater dangers. Adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as premature birth, have also been observed in COVID-positive patients, though research in this field is still developing. People with certain health issues, such as diabetes, lung illness, or heart disease, are more likely to become ill due to COVID-19.

2. Is it necessary for pregnant women to take extra precautions?

The fact that a Pregnant woman does not make her more susceptible to infection. However, due to the potential of serious sickness from COVID-19 during pregnancy, we advise pregnant women to take all precautions feasible to avoid infection. This includes handwashing (at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap), avoiding touching your face, nose, eyes, or mouth, and adhering to strong social separation (not going out unless you have to and staying six feet apart from others.) Close contact with respiratory droplets (such as coughs and sneezes) that can travel up to six feet distributes the virus from one person to the next.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, community members should also use cloth masks to go somewhere like the grocery store. A surgical mask or a medical-grade mask is not required.

3. Is there a risk of the virus spreading from mother to child?

So yet, there has been no evidence that COVID-19 can be passed down to an unborn child. We know that transmission can occur after birth if the baby is exposed to a COVID-19-positive caregiver, including the mother. Early evidence also suggests that newborns are less likely to develop signs of the infection or become infected with dangerous types. We don’t have enough data to say whether this is because babies are less likely to become infected after birth or because they aren’t sick from the virus as frequently as adults. Nonetheless, additional study is needed to assist us, and until then, we must take all precautions to protect neonates from infection, even from sick family members.

4. Is it possible for a baby to become contaminated through breastmilk?

The virus has yet to be discovered in breastmilk, and there is no indication that it can be transmitted this way. Close contact with a COVID-19-positive caregiver while feeding a newborn, on the other hand, would increase the likelihood of the virus spreading. This is why we urge that pregnant woman who tests positive for the virus and prefers to breastfeed consider pumping milk for a short time after delivery to protect their newborns from contracting the virus.

5. Are there any differences in symptoms between pregnant and non-pregnant women?

A tiny study of 215 pregnant women at two New York hospitals has discovered a surprising number of women who tested positive for the new coronavirus while having no symptoms. 29 (88 percent) of the 33 women who tested positive had no symptoms.

COVID-19-positive pregnant women aren’t always less likely to experience symptoms. However, it provides information on the proportion of persons who have been infected with the virus but aren’t showing symptoms but are still contagious – both among pregnant women and the broader public.

6. Should parents alter their labor and delivery schedules?

Discuss your birth plan with your healthcare practitioner. Hospitals such as Michigan Medicine are changing protocols to reduce exposure risks during the epidemic, limiting the number of persons allowed in the delivery room. We feel that giving birth in a hospital or a hospital-based birth center is still the safest option. This setting assures that in the event of unanticipated difficulties, which can occur even in the healthiest pregnancies, essential care is available.

7. What methods are used to screen pregnant women for COVID-19?

When pregnant patients come for delivery, we now recommend that they be checked for the virus. This will help caregivers understand what kind of personal protective equipment they’ll need, as well as how to care for women and babies. There are other public health reasons for conducting this testing.

8. What should you do if you suspect you have COVID-19 and are pregnant?

If you develop a fever or cough and suspect you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus, contact your doctor. A hard time breathing or shortness of breath that is more than normal during your pregnancy, continuing pain or pressure in your chest, blue lips, bewilderment, or inability to respond to others are all symptoms to be aware of.

9. What to do if you find out you’re pregnant and have COVID-19?

Pregnant women who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 should follow their OB-and GYN’s CDC guidelines. Staying at home except for medical care, avoiding public transit and crowded settings, and maintaining a safe distance from others in their home are all examples of this.

10. Should pregnant women make dietary or hydration changes?

Food products or packaging shipped at refrigerated or frozen temperatures have a very minimal chance of spreading. There’s also no evidence that certain meals or drinks will help you avoid getting infected with the virus despite several websites and social media accounts claim.

Also Read: Importance Of Managing Hypertension During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Final thoughts

Experts emphasize the need for pregnant women to continue to receive prenatal care during the pandemic. To safeguard patients, prenatal care providers made numerous changes to their services throughout the pandemic, such as spacing out appointments, compressing visits to reduce the amount of time you spend in the clinic, and disinfecting often. For some visits, your doctor may also provide telehealth consultation.

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