Being pregnant is always stressful, but it is even more devastating with the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and the diseases it can cause. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seven distinct types of Coronavirus can infect human beings. Some of them are moderate which can cause colds, and some can form viruses that can cause severe sickness.
Covid-19 transmits from an infected person to another person e through the droplets released in the air by coughing or sneezing. Shaking hands, touching, or touching any surface infected with the virus, and then touching your mouth, nose, eyes, or mouth before washing your hands spreads the virus. But the CDC states that this way does not contribute to the spread of the virus mainly.
Those who are suffering from Covid-19 go through these below-listed symptoms-
- Fever
- Cough
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Congestion or runny nose
- Diarrhoea
- Nausea or vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- Sore throat
- Chills
- A new loss of taste or smell
- Shaking with chills
Symptoms can be experienced anytime from 2 to 14 days after being exposed to Covid-19. Some of them go through mild sickness, while others may become seriously sick. Some of them do not show the symptoms, but still, they can spread the virus. A lot of questions arise in your head about dealing with Covid-19, especially when you are pregnant. Therefore, here some things that you might need to know.
What effect will the baby suffer if I am tested positive for Coronavirus?
Covid-19 is a new virus that raises a lot of questions in everyone’s head. There is no full-proof evidence that says that being exposed to Covid-19 can increase the risk of miscarriage. Also, there is no proof of vertical transmissions. The vertical information is the capacity of the virus to transmit to the baby in the womb during pregnancy.
In research, in China, nine pregnant women, they were tested positive for the Covid-19. But all the nine babies were tested negative for it, and they were overall healthy. While in one case in London, A pregnant lady tested positive for Covid-19, and the baby also tested positive for the same. Furthermore, it is not clear if the baby got the infection in utero from the mother or got it right after the birth. Expert says that it is not likely for a baby to be exposed to the virus during pregnancy. And it is unlikely for the baby to have any deficiencies or defects in the development. For now, no proof explains it otherwise.
Are pregnant women at higher risk from covid-19?
Women who are pregnant or those who recently got pregnant and are older, overweight, and have medical conditions already as diabetes or hypertension appear to develop dreadful Covid-19. When pregnant women get any severe disease, they frequently require care in intensive care units than those not pregnant of reproductive age.
Pregnant women can get affected terribly by respiratory infections because of the changes occurring in the bodies and the immune systems. Therefore, it is essential to protect yourself from the spread of Covid-19 and if you find any symptoms occurring like fever, cough, or difficulty in breathing, consult your doctor.
You may also read: Did you get your vaccine passport?
Precautions to take for pregnant women against Coronavirus
You can follow these steps cautiously to prevent getting the infection or disease while being pregnant-
- It is necessary to practice social distancing. Maintain a minimum distance of 2 meters or 6 feet from other people if you are in any public place, and avoid contact with others as much as you can.
- Keep washing your hands often. You can protect yourself from Covid-19 by maintaining proper hand hygiene. For sure, you would hear this everywhere, but this is for a good cause.
- Use a tissue if you feel like coughing or sneezing and throw it in the dustbin. Do wash your hands properly right after throwing the tissue.
- Try working from home whenever you can.
- It would be best if you got your flu vaccination on time. Although the flu vaccination can not protect you from being vulnerable to Covid-19, it can make you less sensitive to the disease, leading to severe complications while pregnancy.
- Stay safe as much as you can. Please do not contact those suffering from high fever or continuous cough, or any other symptoms as they are the symptoms of Coronavirus.
- Try being virtual as much as you can. Consider taking virtual consultation before visiting your gynaecologist. You need to reduce the contact, spend time, and wait in the waiting room in the hospital. However, some tests might have to perform in person, like ultrasound, fetal testing, or blood tests. But all in all, try avoiding contact whenever you can.
- If your body shows any respiratory symptoms, do not ignore them.
Consult your doctor if you catch a cough or any respiratory problem. After checking your symptoms properly, your doctor will tell if you need to take a test for Covid-19 or not.
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