Boris Johnson’s pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds said she is ‘on the mend’ after suffering symptoms of coronavirus.
The prime minister last week said he tested positive for Covid-19, and has spend more than a week in self-isolation at 11 Downing Street while his partner self-isolated in Camberwell.
While Carrie has not been confirmed to have had the virus, the 32-year-old chose to take precautions due to her pregancy.
She tweeted: ‘I’ve spent the past week in bed with the main symptoms of coronavirus. I haven’t needed to be tested and, after seven days of rest, I feel stronger and I’m on the mend.
‘Being pregnant with Covid-19 is obviously worrying. To other pregnant women, please do read and follow the most up to date guidance which I found to be very reassuring.’
That being said, how does coronavirus affect pregnant women and should extra measures be taken to protect them against it?
Is coronavirus dangerous in pregnancies?
Pregnant women do not appear to be more likely to contract coronavirus than the general population, however, they are urged to follow the government’s social distancing and self-isolation guidance scrupulously.
However pregnancy does alter the body’s immune system and response to infections, with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) saying infections can ‘occasionally be related to more severe symptoms, and this will be the same for Covd-19’.
It says that while risks in pregnancies are low overall, health professionals should watch for severe symptoms in pregnant women who test positive – such as pneumonia or a lack of oxygen.
While antenatal appointments are going ahead, RCOG advises pregnant women to limit the number of people they bring with them.
It states women should ‘be encouraged to have a birth partner present during labour and birth’, as it is known to ‘make a significant difference to the safety and well-being of women in childbirth’.
However if the birth partner experience symptoms of coronavirus, they will not be allowed into the maternity suite.
Can coronavirus affect unborn babies?
As Covid-19 is a new illness, not much is known about if it affects unborn babies as yet – however, there is no evidence to suggest it increases the risk of miscarriage.
However, there is evidence to suggest coronavirus can be transmitted from mother to baby during pregnancy or birth.
The RCOG says in all previously reported cases, the infection was found quickly, at least 30 hours after birth, and in all reported cases of newborn babies developing coronavirus very soon after birth, the baby was well.
Their website says: ‘It is important to emphasise that in all reported cases of newborn babies developing coronavirus very soon after birth, the baby was well.’
It is also considered unlikely that if a pregnant woman has the virus it would cause problems with the baby’s development.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/05/coronavirus-uk-dangerous-coronavirus-pregnant-women-can-affect-baby-12512562/?ITO=squid
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