How To Protect from Coronavirus If You’re Pregnant

There are a lot of unknown possibilities for pregnant women regarding the coronavirus. Prevention is your best bet to protect you and your unborn baby.

By Kimberlee Leonard, mom.com

IN THIS ARTICLE

• Are pregnant women more at risk than others?
• What happens if you're pregnant and infected by the coronavirus
• How to protect yourself from the coronavirus

Getting sick while you’re pregnant is always scary. The threat of being infected with the coronavirus seems to have everybody a bit more on edge than normal. If you are pregnant, being vigilant about washing your hands and sanitizing commonly used things is imperative. Simply put, coronavirus prevention is much better than trying to treat an upper respiratory illness.

What is the coronavirus?

Novel coronavirus is the newly identified strain of a coronavirus germ that was first identified in China and has since spread around the world. The germ causes a disease known as COVID-19 that leads to a significant upper respiratory problem if not treated properly. For most people, coming in contact with the virus could result in no infection or could lead to a mild illness similar to the common cold or flu.

Are pregnant women more at risk than others?

Everyone is at risk of being in contact with the coronavirus. This means anyone within a 6-foot radius of somebody coughing or sneezing who is infected could come in contact with the germ. This is why face masks are recommended for those who are experiencing symptoms resulting from COVID-19 or other undiagnosed illnesses.

Currently, it is unknown whether or not pregnant women are more susceptible to the coronavirus and its associated illness. There is not enough data to know how the illness will run its course with a pregnant woman or her fetus.

“It's hard to completely say exactly what the clinical course would be for a pregnant woman.” Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, told Today. "We do know in general with respiratory infections that pregnant women are at increased risk for having more severe cases.”

What happens to pregnant women who are infected by the coronavirus?

If what we know about pregnant women and the flu holds to be true for pregnant women and the coronavirus, we can expect pregnant women to have a more serious if not severe illness with COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control, pregnant women experience a more serious flu than non-pregnant women of the same age.

In most cases, the coronavirus leads to symptoms such as a fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If treatment is delayed (or not administered) a person with COVID-19 could develop a lung infection that may lead to pneumonia. Many of the patients with serious cases of COVID-19 develop pneumonia in both lungs. It is these infections that pose the greatest risk and can lead to death if not treated properly.

Remember that your unborn baby is protected by mom's antibodies. As long as you stay healthy, your baby should remain healthy.

How to protect yourself from the coronavirus

Coronavirus prevention is the No. 1 way to protect yourself from the coronavirus. Prevention includes washing your hands regularly, disinfecting commonly used items, refraining from going to places with big crowds and potentially sick people, and using good common sense when you feel that you're getting sick.

"I think my biggest fear is people who are sick being in public spreading coronavirus and my kids and I getting it," Kara Miller — a mom of 2 who is 15 weeks pregnant — told Mom.com. "I try to go to the store when they are usually less busy times, and I try not to go down really crowded aisles so I’m not as close to people."

The CDC says that washing your hands is a great way to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. Use warm water and soap, counting to 20, or singing "Happy Birthday" to yourself at least twice to effectively wash your hands. If hand-washing is not possible, you can use an antibacterial hand sanitizer that has at least 60% alcohol content to fight against the coronavirus germs.

Keep in mind hand sanitizer is not effective if your hands are dirty or greasy. Try to avoid touching your hands to your eyes or mouth to keep the virus from moving into your mucous membranes.