Coronavirus and pregnancy: Doctors explain if expecting mothers are more susceptible

Over the last few months, the COVID-19 virus has swept across the globe, infecting people in every continent except Antarctica.

Experts have warned that elderly people and those with underlying health conditions are at highest risk at dying from the coronavirus , but there’s been some confusion about the risks for pregnant women.

Now, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued advise for expecting mothers who are concerned about the virus.

Unfortunately, it remains rather unclear whether or not pregnant women are more susceptible to the virus.

The CDC explained: “We do not have information from published scientific reports about susceptibility of pregnant women to COVID-19.

“Pregnant women experience immunologic and physiologic changes which might make them more susceptible to viral respiratory infections, including COVID-19.

Based on these findings, the CDC is urging pregnant women to be vigilant about washing their hands and avoiding those who are ill (Getty)

“Pregnant women also might be at risk for severe illness, morbidity, or mortality compared to the general population as observed in cases of other related coronavirus infections [including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)] and other viral respiratory infections, such as influenza, during pregnancy.”

Based on these findings, the CDC is urging pregnant women to be vigilant about washing their hands and avoiding those who are ill.

It added: “Pregnant women should engage in usual preventive actions to avoid infection like washing hands often and avoiding people who are sick.”

Coronavirus: What we know so far

Meanwhile, if you’re pregnant and do catch the virus, thankfully the chance of you passing it to your baby are very low.

The CDC explained: “Whether a pregnant woman with COVID-19 can transmit the virus that causes COVID-19 to her fetus or neonate by other routes of vertical transmission (before, during, or after delivery) is still unknown.

“However, in limited recent case series of infants born to mothers with COVID-19 published in the peer-reviewed literature, none of the infants have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.

“Additionally, virus was not detected in samples of amniotic fluid or breastmilk.”