Clinical characteristics and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women attending a third level reference center in Mexico City

Abstract

Background

COVID-19 symptoms vary widely among pregnant women. We aimed to assess the most frequent symptoms amongst pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection in a tertiary hospital in Mexico City.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of pregnant women attending the National Institute of Perinatology in Mexico City was performed. All women who attended the hospital, despite their symptoms, were tested for SARS-CoV-2. A multivariate-age-adjusted logistic regression was used to assess the association between the main outcome and each characteristic of the clinical history.

Results

A total of 1880 women were included in the data analysis. Among all women, 30.74% (n = 578) had a positive PCR for SARS-CoV-2 from which 2.7 (n = 50) were symptomatic. Symptoms associated with a positive PCR result were headache (p=.01), dyspnea (p=.043), and myalgia (p=.043).

Conclusions

At universal screening for SARS-CoV-2, one-third of the population had a positive result, while those symptoms associated with a positive PCR were headache, dyspnea, and myalgia.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• SARS-CoV-2
• coronavirus 2019
• universal screening
• pregnancy

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge all healthcare workers of the National Institute of Perinatology for the huge effort, work, and passion during this pandemic, and to those who gave their life for caring others, you will always be in our hearts and minds.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).