Q. Are pregnant women more likely to become infected with COVID-19 or develop severe illness?
A: Although the absolute risks are low, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who are pregnant or recently were pregnant are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 when compared to people who are not pregnant. Having certain underlying medical conditions can further increase your risk for developing severe COVID-19 illness during or recently after pregnancy. If you are pregnant, were recently pregnant, or live with or visit someone who is pregnant, you should take steps to prevent yourself from getting sick with COVID-19.
Q. If I get COVID-19 while pregnant, how might it affect my unborn baby?
A: Pregnant women with COVID-19 infections have higher rates of mortality, preterm birth, and NICU admission despite the low absolute risks. If you do get sick, try not to panic. Call your obstetrician to determine your care plan. For the remainder of your pregnancy, they might want to keep a closer eye on your unborn child.
The majority of newborns of women who had COVID-19 during pregnancy do not have COVID-19 when they are born, according to the CDC. We don’t know if COVID-19 was contracted before, during, or after birth in some newborns who tested positively for the virus shortly after birth. Although some newborns do experience severe illness, most babies who tested positive for COVID-19 had mild or no symptoms and recovered.
Please note that none of these will cure a cold; they are all meant to treat symptoms. Call your primary care physician if your symptoms don’t improve or get worse after 5 days in order to rule out an infection source.
You can also drink hydration drinks with electrolytes in them. But since they are additional, you shouldn’t rely solely on them to stay hydrated. Be cautious if you have gestational diabetes because they contain a lot of sugar.
Showers– The warm water vapor will help with respiratory symptoms. Be aware of your temperature though. Please refrain from taking a hot shower if you have a fever; a warm shower will help lower your temperature instead. You can also just sit in your steamy bathroom.
A vaporizer/humidifier– Not only for your kids. This works great if you are having respiratory symptoms. Make sure you clean it out every day to prevent anything from growing inside your humidifier.
When cold symptoms first appear, we advise anyone to get tested for Covid-19.