The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the healthcare landscape for many patient populations — including pregnant women. To mark Mental Health Awareness Month this May, we’re bringing you research-backed information to help support the mental well-being of you and your loved ones during this difficult time. Altered hospital policies, concerns about contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and […]
COVID-19 patients on the antiviral remdesivir recovered about 30 percent faster than those on a placebo, the results of a major clinical trial showed Wednesday, as a top US scientist hailed the drug’s “clear-cut” benefit. The patients taking part in a clinical trial of the drug have all had severe respiratory symptoms and fever, but […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the healthcare landscape for many patient populations — including pregnant women. To mark Mental Health Awareness Month this May, we’re bringing you research-backed information to help support the mental well-being of you and your loved ones during this difficult time. Altered hospital policies, concerns about contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and […]
COVID-19 patients on the antiviral remdesivir recovered about 30 percent faster than those on a placebo, the results of a major clinical trial showed Wednesday, as a top US scientist hailed the drug’s “clear-cut” benefit. The patients taking part in a clinical trial of the drug have all had severe respiratory symptoms and fever, but […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the healthcare landscape for many patient populations — including pregnant women.
To mark Mental Health Awareness Month this May, we’re bringing you research-backed information to help support the mental well-being of you and your loved ones during this difficult time.
Altered hospital policies, concerns about contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and changes to doctors’ office hours have all affected pregnancy.
Information regarding pregnancy and COVID-19 is continually evolving. This article will cover the currently available information relating to pregnancy during the pandemic.
Pregnancy can be an exciting time, but also one of uncertainty. The COVID-19 pandemic understandably adds further stress and may cause anxiety in some people.
During pregnancy, signs and symptoms of high stress include:
changes in appetite
frequent feelings of fear and worry about the pregnancy and delivery
poor quality sleep
problems concentrating
Pregnant women may wish to try the following stress-relieving practices and tips:
Refrain from looking at physical media or watching the news around the clock. Instead, limit the news to key times of the day, such as the morning or before dinner, leaving the evenings free for unwinding and promoting sleep.
Ask a doctor or midwife about online antenatal classes, which are excellent places to meet and talk to other pregnant women.
Try meditating, deep breathing, or gentle stretching.
Take care of key relationships by connecting with friends and family over the phone or through video conferences.
Get enough sleep by going to bed at a consistent time and limiting screen time beforehand.
Maintain a healthful diet and engage in regular exercise. Eating well and staying active can help the body stay healthy in times of mental ill health.
Take up a new hobby or rediscover an old one, such as playing an instrument, learning a language, or reading. People may also enjoy making blankets, clothes, or handmade toys for the coming baby, or decorating a nursery.
Make use of online support groups and forums for pregnant women and new parents.
Consider online counseling. Therapy can be helpful for anyone experiencing anxiety, depression, or stress.
Ask for extra help — this may mean that a partner takes a greater share of caring for the children, if applicable, or that a neighbor does the grocery shopping and drops the bags outside the door.
If a woman is experiencing significant mental distress, it is vital to speak to a doctor, midwife, or counselor.
Depression during pregnancy is common but treatable. Even if they are physical distancing, pregnant women do not have to face depression or other mental health concerns alone.
Physical distancing while pregnant
Avoiding contact with others, especially large groups of people, can reduce the transmission of the coronavirus.
Many areas have enacted shelter-at-home or safer-at-home policies that discourage people from going outside except for essential travel, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy or making other necessary visits.
It is essential to keep attending prenatal appointments, but be aware that some of these appointments may occur over the phone.
Modern technology enables doctors’ offices to change the way in which they help people, including pregnant women.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that pregnant women talk with a doctor to determine how often they should go for in-person visits.
Our doctors offer online video call visits called telemedicine. They may recommend spacing out ultrasound appointments or other in-person visits to reduce a woman’s risk for transmission.
If possible, having a partner or delivery service secure key items can help reduce a pregnant woman’s exposure to the public.
People should always wash their hands when returning from the grocery store or a walk outside.
COVID-19 effects during pregnancy
As COVID-19 is a new and developing health crisis, experts have not yet identified its effects on pregnancy. They remain unsure whether pregnant women are more at risk of getting COVID-19 or experiencing more severe symptoms and whether they might pass the virus to the baby.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), no evidence currently exists to suggest that pregnant women are at higher risk of experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms than the general population.
A small study of nine pregnant women in their third trimester with COVID-19 and pneumonia symptoms in Wuhan, China, found that one baby tested positive for the virus 36 hours after birth.
However, tests of the woman’s placenta and umbilical cord were negative, which could mean that the newborn contracted the virus after birth, rather than in the womb. This sample size was very small, which makes drawing conclusions difficult.
Another study of 38 pregnant women testing positive for COVID-19 in China did not find that their symptoms were more severe than those affecting the general population.
The study did not report any maternal deaths or the transmission of COVID-19 to any babies.
When to self-isolate
If a pregnant woman has symptoms that resemble those of COVID-19, such as coughing, fever, or shortness of breath, she should call a doctor.
The doctor can make recommendations about whether or not COVID-19 testing is necessary.
If the woman’s symptoms are mild, a doctor will likely recommend that she self-isolate at home.
Home treatment includes taking acetaminophen for fever relief, resting, and drinking plenty of water.
A high fever or difficulty breathing are signs that urgent care is necessary. Try to call the hospital before arriving at the emergency room so that they can take any necessary precautions.
Do you have to give birth alone in the hospital?
Some hospitals in the United States have prohibited visitors for the foreseeable future — including during childbirth — to protect healthcare staff and other patients from the virus. The number of support people who may enter the delivery room can vary from hospital to hospital, however.
Questions to ask a doctor
The pandemic has resulted in many pregnant women experiencing changes to their birth plan, which can cause stress and uncertainty.
Having all the necessary information may help them feel in control and reduce anxiety.
Questions to ask a doctor include:
How may your office hours or accessibility change?
Are there online alternatives to antenatal classes where I can meet and talk to other pregnant women?
How can I ensure that I am safe when visiting my doctor’s office or going to the hospital?
How can I expect COVID-19 concerns at the hospital to affect my delivery?
Will there be changes in terms of the medications that I may receive or the number of people present in the delivery room?
A woman can also ask her doctor about any area-specific or condition-specific changes.
Summary
Pregnant women may feel additional stress, anxiety, or depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. But even if they are self-isolating, they do not have to face these problems alone.
It is best for pregnant women to focus on the elements that they can control, including self-care and physical distancing.
Keeping in regular contact with a doctor or midwife can also help alleviate worries about health and the birth.
COVID-19 patients on the antiviral remdesivir recovered about 30 percent faster than those on a placebo, the results of a major clinical trial showed Wednesday, as a top US scientist hailed the drug’s “clear-cut” benefit.
The patients taking part in a clinical trial of the drug have all had severe respiratory symptoms and fever, but were able to leave the hospital after less than a week of treatment, STAT quoted the doctor leading the trial as saying.
“The best news is that most of our patients have already been discharged, which is great.
“Partial data from an ongoing clinical trial is by definition incomplete and should never be used to draw conclusions about the safety or efficacy of a potential treatment that is under investigation.
There is no approved therapy for the Covid-19, which can cause severe pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome in some patients. But the National Institutes of Health is organizing trials of several drugs and other treatments, among them remdesivir.
The drug, made by Gilead Sciences, was tested against Ebola with little success, but multiple studies in animals showed the drug could both prevent and treat coronaviruses related to Covid-19, including SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).
Back in February, the World Health Organization said remdesivir showed potential against Covid-19.
Most of our patients are severe and most of them are leaving at six days, so that tells us duration of therapy doesn’t have to be 10 days.
However, the trial does not include what’s known as a control group, so it will be difficult to say whether the drug is truly helping patients recover better. With a control arm, some patients do not receive the drug being tested so that doctors can determine whether it’s the drug that is really affecting their condition.
Trials of the drug are ongoing at dozens of other clinical centers, as well. Gilead is sponsoring tests of the drug in 2,400 patients with severe Covid-19 symptoms in 152 trial sites around the world. It’s also testing the drug in 1,600 patients with moderate symptoms at 169 hospitals and clinics around the world.
Gilead said it expected results from the trial by the end of the month.
“We understand the urgent need for a COVID-19 treatment and the resulting interest in data on our investigational antiviral drug remdesivir,” the company said in a statement. But it said a few stories about patients are just that.
“The totality of the data need to be analyzed in order to draw any conclusions from the trial. Anecdotal reports, while encouraging, do not provide the statistical power necessary to determine the safety and efficacy profile of remdesivir as a treatment for Covid-19.
