Pregnant women who catch Covid are seven times more likely to die, warns new research. They are also at a "significantly elevated" risk of being admitted to intensive care and 23 times more likely to develop pneumonia, according to the study published in BMJ Global Health.
In addition, the findings suggest that Covid during pregnancy also increases the risk that the baby will need to be admitted to intensive care. Scientists say their findings add urgency to calls for more women of childbearing age to get vaccinated.
Lead author Professor Emily Smith, of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health in the US said: “This study provides the most comprehensive evidence to date suggesting that Covid-19 is a threat during pregnancy. “Our findings underscore the importance of Covid-19 vaccination for all women of childbearing age.”
