Fact check: If you’re pregnant, are you at higher risk for contracting coronavirus?

Lucille Sherman
·5 min read

The issue: As information on the novel coronavirus continues to rapidly evolve, it’s difficult to get clear answers on the nuances of the disease. One of those gray areas: Are pregnant people at higher risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus?

Unlike guidelines for those 65 and older, who have a higher risk of becoming severely ill, requiring hospitalization or dying if they contract the coronavirus, the guidelines for pregnant people are less clear because so little is known about the virus.

Social media, government agencies and public officials have provided mixed information on the coronavirus and pregnancy. Some indicate that pregnant people are definitely high risk. Others say they may be at a higher risk.

So, which is it?

Why we’re checking this: In a news conference Tuesday, North Carolina state health director Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson said that pregnant women are now in the high-risk category, based on new data.

But the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) — a professional organization representing physicians who specialize in obstetrics and gynecology and is in regular communication with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — has said little about the COVID-19 virus’s impact on pregnancy.

An advisory released on the organization’s website indicates there are currently no recommendations “specific to pregnant women regarding the evaluation or management of COVID-19.”

“The CDC will keep us advised of new developments regarding pregnancy and travel and, ACOG will be able to offer additional information as we learn more about the disease and its potential impact on pregnant women,” ACOG’s vice president for practice activities Christopher Zahn said in an email.

Should pregnant women be concerned about the coronavirus? And are they at high risk of becoming severely ill if they contract the virus? Considering nearly 3.8 million babies were born in 2018, we wanted to find out. 2018 is the latest available data from the CDC.

What you need to know: The CDC has placed pregnant people, along with those with asthma or HIV, in the “may be at higher risk for severe illness” category on its website.

“We do not currently know if pregnant women have a greater chance of getting sick from COVID-19 than the general public nor whether they are more likely to have serious illness as a result,” its website says.

The CDC provides no data on pregnant women who have contracted the coronavirus on its website, however.

One study conducted in Wuhan, China, in January evaluated nine pregnant patients who had contracted the COVID-19 virus. None died or developed severe pneumonia as a result of contracting the virus, according to the study.

“The clinical characteristics of COVID-19 pneumonia in pregnant women were similar to those reported for non-pregnant adult patients who developed COVID-19 pneumonia,” wrote researchers. “Findings from this small group of cases suggest that there is currently no evidence for intrauterine infection caused by vertical transmission in women who develop COVID-19 pneumonia in late pregnancy. “

ACOG guidelines, however, indicate that pregnant women are at a greater risk of severe morbidity and mortality from other respiratory infections, like the flu and SARS.

“As such, pregnant women should be considered an at-risk population for COVID-19,” the organization said on its website.

Until more data is collected on those who have contracted the coronavirus, medical experts say it’s better to be safe than sorry.

“The answer is unknown,” said Eugene Maynard, medical director of Benson Area Medical Center. “Everybody is taking an extremely cautious view. Obviously, we would like to avoid anybody getting infected, and we would like to avoid anybody who’s pregnant getting infected. Considering them high-risk is a good default.”

In response to follow-up questions on director Tilson’s statement Tuesday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said Tilson was referencing the CDC’s newest key messages for pregnant people, which were announced Tuesday.

“Her point was that (it) is especially important for pregnant people to take actions to reduce their risk of exposure,” said NCDHHS communications manager Kelly Haight in an email to The News & Observer on Thursday.

Haight also provided additional CDC information:

  • Pregnant people may be at higher risk for having severe illness from COVID-19.

  • Pregnancy loss, including miscarriage and stillbirth, has been observed in cases of infection with other related coronaviruses [SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV] during pregnancy.

  • There is limited information on infant outcomes of COVID-19 illness during pregnancy.

  • Other respiratory viral infections during pregnancy, such as influenza, have been associated with adverse neonatal outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm birth

  • High fevers during the first trimester of pregnancy can increase the risk of certain birth defects.

  • It is especially important for pregnant people to take actions to reduce their risk of exposure.

Regardless of whether pregnant people are at a high risk of contracting the coronavirus or become severely ill from it, they can follow the general CDC guidelines to protect themselves from COVID-19:

  • Wash your hands.

  • Stay away from people who are sick.

  • Cover your cough.

This story was produced by The News & Observer Fact-Checking Project, which shares fact-checks with newsrooms statewide. It was edited by politics editor Jordan Schrader and managing editor Jane Elizabeth. Submit a suggestion for what we should check, or a comment or suggestion about our fact-checking, at bit.ly/nandofactcheck.

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