How Does Pregnancy Affect the Clinical Profile of COVID-19?

To gain a better understanding of the prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy, investigators performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of 77 studies including >8000 pregnant women with COVID-19; many of the studies also included nonpregnant women.

COVID-19 was diagnosed in 10% of pregnant women, reflecting routine testing during hospital admission. Pregnant women were less likely than nonpregnant women to have fever and myalgia. While their mortality was low (0.1%), pregnant women were more likely to be admitted to the ICU (odds ratio, 1.6) and to require mechanical ventilation (OR, 1.9). As in nonpregnant persons, risk factors for severe disease included older age, diabetes, hypertension, and obesit…