February 22, 2021

Higher SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rate in Pregnant Patients

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Clinical Characteristics and Health Care Setting

Keywords (Tags): disparities, pregnancy, public health, washington

The SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among pregnant individuals in Washington State (13.9/1,000 deliveries) was 70% higher than the rate among similarly-aged adults, which was not completely explained by universal screening at delivery. 240 pregnant patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were identified from March 1-June 3, 2020, and the proportion of cases in pregnancy among most ethnic minority groups was 2-4 fold higher than the distribution of women in Washington State who delivered live births in 2018. The proportion of infected pregnant patients receiving medical care in a non-English language was also higher than estimates of limited English proficiency in Washington State (30.4% versus 7.6%).

Lokken et al. (Feb 9, 2021). Higher SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rate in Pregnant Patients. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2021.02.011