70 pregnant women with COVID-19 in Oman, no deaths

Muscat: There are 70 pregnant women hospitalised with COVID-19 infection so far in the Sultanate. Nine among them are in the ICU, according to Dr Moza Abdullah al Suliamani, Director of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the Royal Hospital.

Three critical cases went into premature labour to improve their response to treatment, including one that was before the 24-week of pregnancy and the fetus died. The other two cases were of 28-week of pregnancy and the premature newborns were admitted to the NICU.

In a statement, Dr Moza said, “Pregnant women being infected with COVID-19 is as usual as the rest of the community,” confirming the WHO, which says there is no evidence that the pregnant women are at higher risk of severe illness than the other patients.

However, due to changes in their bodies and immune system, pregnant women can be badly affected by some respiratory infections. It is therefore important that they take precautions to protect themselves against the virus, and report possible symptoms (including fever, cough, or breathing difficulty) to their healthcare provider.

The Doctor affirmed that most pregnant women had mild COVID-19 symptoms. Mothers have recovered and no neonatal deaths were recorded till now. She pointed out, “Most COVID-19 admissions at the Royal Hospital were that of high-risk pregnancy and they got infected from the husband or one of the family members. Unfortunately, the effect of deteriorating maternal health and complications will be on the mother and the fetus in case of infection.”

Dr Al Suliamani outlined that unfortunately, the department faces some challenges like a rejection of some pregnant women to disclose infections in their families before being admitted or contacting other patients and health staff which expands the range of danger. Hence, all pregnant women are urged to report to the staff any case of Covid-19 in their family, or herself or if showing any COVID-19 symptoms. The WHO suggests, pregnant women with symptoms of COVID-19 should be prioritised for testing. If they have it, they may need specialised care.

However, there is no evidence to date that a pregnant woman with the disease can pass the virus to her fetus or baby during pregnancy or delivery. The active virus, though, has not been found in samples of amniotic fluid or breast milk, according to the WHO.
The Ministry of Health stressed the importance of adhering to preventive measures to reduce the chances of virus exposure and infection. It has advised pregnant to continue regular follow up in the health institutions where all protection means are provided when visiting the institution.

The pregnant should seek the nearest health institution for the necessary checks when having the following symptoms: fever, cough, sore throat, or diarrhoea. They should also eat healthy food and stay away from psychological stress.

Because the health of pregnant women is a priority, the ministry said regular visits to the pregnant clinic are continuing. Several measures have been taken to facilitate and speed up the visit of pregnant women to primary health care institutions to reduce the stay period.

In terms of prevention, pregnant women should take the same precautions, if not extra, to avoid COVID-19 infection as other people. They must wash hands frequently, maintain social distancing, voiding touching eyes, nose and mouth, besides practicing respiratory hygiene through covering mouth and nose with bent elbow or tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of the used tissue immediately.