Study Examines the Prevalence of COVID-19 Infections in Pregnant Women About to Give Birth

Research published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology reports the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in pregnant women admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital's labor and delivery units. They found that 7.9% of symptomatic women tested positive and 1.5% of asymptomatic women tested positive.

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As part of a multipronged approach to reduce transmission of the virus, Mass General implemented universal testing of pregnant women at the four major hospitals affiliated with Mass General Brigham. From this widespread testing, the clinicians collected data on 757 women over 18 days. 45% of pregnant women who tested positive had no symptoms at all. Additionally, none of the women developed symptoms during their stay at the hospital, and no newborns tested positive for COVID-19.

While the prevalence of SARS CoV-2 in this population was relatively low, lead author Ilona Goldfarb, MD, MPH, maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Mass General, said she and her coauthors believe that universal testing of admitted pregnant women provides a window into the community prevalence of infection, which can help guide decision-making about moving between mitigation versus containment measures in hospitals.

Co–senior author Erica Shenoy, MD, PhD, associate chief of Mass General's Infection Control Unit, agreed, adding that the findings highlight the importance of understanding the local prevalence of disease, which varies across geographical areas and will change over time. Tracking prevalence prospectively can inform public health interventions and approaches to testing.

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