BENGALURU: Gynaecologists in Bengaluru have raised concerns over the increasing trend of pregnant women contracting Covid. While most of these women are asymptomatic, the very fact that they have been infected by the virus has led to stress among the women themselves and family members too.
While there a precise number of infected pregnant women is unavailable, the positivity rate among them is almost the same as that of the general population, said Dr Savitha C, head of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology, Vani Vilas hospital. She is also a member of the state Covid Technical Experts Committee.
“Five out of 10 pregnant women tested for Covid return a positive test,” said gynaecologist Dr Hema Divakar.
In Bengaluru, HSIS Gosha hospital, a dedicated Covid-19 hospital for maternity care, has had nearly 100 pregnant women, 90 of whom have delivered. Only three newborns tested positive for the virus.
Dr Padmini Prasad, president, Bengaluru Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (BSOG), said the situation now is far better compared to the two previous waves. “In the second wave, many pregnant women who contracted Covid faced abortion, premature delivery and many needed to be treated in the ICU. This time, things are much better with fever lasting for only three days,” said Dr Prasad. Most of them are fully vaccinated too, she added.
Besides fever, many women complain of weakness and lack of energy. “However, we don’t know what the long-term effect will be,” said Dr Prasad.
‘How did I contract Covid despite not stepping out of the house’, is a common question. Dr Savitha pointed out that while pregnant women are not immobile, they are not invulnerable. “Family members who move around could have spread the infection. Once a family member tests positive, the woman is more vulnera- ble,” said Dr Savitha.
Added anxiety But what puts them off the most is mandatory isolation, doctors say. Dr Divakar said these women need counselling since they are constantly worried about their babies, even when they have nil or mild symptoms. In isolation, they are lonely, and get even more stressed. “Solitary confinement affects them. Since they don’t have people around them, they worry over all sorts of things, right from the baby’s development to thoughts about stigma and what could happen during delivery,” said Dr Divakar.
In some cases, despite having symptoms, women avoid testing. Later, they worry whether they were infected or not. In most cases, just paracetamol is prescribed although in rare cases, antibiotics too, say doctors. “In this wave, we have no confusion about medicines at all. No ivermectin, remdesivir or molnupiravir. Very occasionally we prescribe antibiotics,” Dr Divakar said.
However, Dr Savitha said women in Vani Vilas hospital have no isolation-related anxieties. “It depends on the person’s socio-economic status too. We haven’t come across this issue,” said Dr Savitha.
She says ensuring mask compliance among her patients itself is tough and they may not have isolated themselves at home at all, given lack of facilities. “Unlike the previous waves, now the isolation period is reduced to seven days only. Besides, it’s possible that the more they read about Covid, the more worried they would get,” she said.
The health department is planning to record positivity among pregnant women. “We don’t have that data yet, but as an evolving strategy, we need to have it,” said D Randeep, health commissioner. “In most cases, Covid finding is incidental among pregnant women ahead of delivery. In the second wave too, we have seen successful deliveries, despite Covid. ”
