A case of delivery of a pregnant woman with COVID-19 infection in Daegu, Korea

Outcomes of Late-Preterm and Term Infants Born to SARS-CoV-2-Positive Mothers

With the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Korea, the number of pregnant women infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is rapidly increasing. A shortage of negative-pressure isolation rooms for newborns makes hospital assignment more difficult for late-pregnant women with COVID-19. Among 34 infants born to SARS-CoV-2-positive mothers, 5 (14.7%) presented with respiratory distress and 1 (2.9%) presented with feeding intolerance that required specialized care. Aerosol-generating procedures were performed in one infant. Overall outcomes of 34 infants were favorable, and no infant tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Most infants born to SARS-CoV-2-positive mothers did not need to be quarantined in a negative-pressure isolation room, and 17 (50%) mother-infant dyads were eligible for rooming-in. If negative-pressure isolation rooms are selectively used for newborns requiring aerosol-generating procedures or newborns in respiratory distress, resource availability for lower-risk cases may improve.

Maternal Outcomes and Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 in Korean Pregnant Women during the Early Period of the Pandemic

The present study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes between pregnant women and non-pregnant women of childbearing age (20-49 years old) diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Korea. This nationwide observational study included the information of COVID-19 patients collected by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency from January 2020 to April 2021. Among 5,647 COVID-19 patients, 2,444 (43.3%) were women of childbearing age and 19 were pregnant. None of the pregnant women died. However, 4 deaths occurred among non-pregnant women aged 20-49 years. None of the 19 pregnant women with COVID-19 were admitted to the intensive care unit: they were admitted to the general ward, and none of them required supplemental oxygen. In conclusion, none of the pregnant women with COVID-19 experienced severe infection or death, unlike non-pregnant women of childbearing age.