The article selected for this discussion is titled, “ Characteristics of Women of Reproductive Age with Laboratory-Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Pregnancy Status.” The article is authored by Ellington et al. (2020) and published under the auspices of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). The article addresses the health issues affecting pregnant women infected with COVID-19. Pregnant women are considered a vulnerable group, especially among the Hispanic-Latino communities.
There is a dearth of information regarding COVID-19 infections amongst pregnant women given the novelty of the disease. The article documents the health issues that affected 91,412 women of reproductive age (15-44 years) in the US between 22 nd January to 7 th June 2020. The participants were individuals confirmed to have COVID-19 infection through laboratory testing. Out of this number, 8207 were pregnant women while the rest were nonpregnant. The presentation of symptoms such as coughs and shortness of breath was similar in both groups, only that the presentation of headaches, chills, fever, diarrhoea, and muscle aches was less frequent in pregnant women.
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The degree of hospitalization was higher in pregnant women at 31.5% compared to the 5.8% reported for nonpregnant women. Pregnant women were also documented to be at an elevated risk of getting an admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) (1.5 more times than the nonpregnant), and put under mechanical ventilation (1.7 more times than the nonpregnant). The need to receive mechanical ventilation arises out of respiratory complications which may be more pronounced in pregnant women. The risk of death in both groups, pregnant and nonpregnant, was found to be similar at 0.2%.
The article has also presented a tabular breakdown of the racial disparities in terms of the health outcomes, namely hospitalization, ICU admission, reception of mechanical ventilation, and death. Focussing on the pregnant group only, the percentage of participants from the different races was 46.2, 3.8, 22.1, and 23 for the Hispanic or Latino, Asian, Black and Whites respectively. Generally, the percentage of hospitalization amongst the pregnant group aged 25-34 years was at 31.3%. The percentage of hospitalization among the Latinos was at 31.7$% coming second after Blacks, whose rate of hospitalization was at 39.3%. Generally, the percentage of ICU admission amongst the pregnant group aged 25-34 years was at 1.2%. The percentage of ICU admission among the Latinos was at 1.6% and came third after the Asians and Blacks. Generally, the percentage of receiving mechanical ventilation amongst the pregnant group aged 25-34 years was at 0.4%. The percentage of receiving mechanical ventilation among the Latinos was at 0.4% and came second after Blacks, whose rate of receiving mechanical ventilation was at 0.6%.
The article’s findings show that pregnant women in the Latino communities are a vulnerable group which needs to be educated on the ways of slowing down the COVID -19 spread. Multigenerational households and pregnancy are the contributing factors for health disparities.
References
Ellington, S., Strid, P., Tong, V., Woodworth, K., Galang, R., & Zambrano, L. et al. (2020). Characteristics of Women of Reproductive Age with Laboratory-Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Pregnancy Status — United States, 22nd January–7th June, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69 (25):769–775. Retrieved 13th September 2020, from http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6925a1external icon.
