National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital Reports Findings in COVID-19 (Clinical Characteristics and Risk of Hypoxemia Development in Women Infected with SARS-CoV-2 during Pregnancy): Coronavirus – COVID-19

South Korea Daily Report

2024 JAN 08 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at South Korea Daily Report -- New research on Coronavirus - COVID-19 is the subject of a report. According to news reporting originating from Goyang, South Korea, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “There is limited information on the clinical characteristics and prognosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during pregnancy. The clinical features and risk factors for hypoxemia development were investigated in pregnant women with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, “From August 2020 to February 2022, we performed a retrospective cohort study of 410 pregnant women with COVID-19. The clinical characteristics and prognoses were compared between pregnant COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen and those who did not. Of 410 patients, 100 (24.4%) required oxygen therapy. Among them, fever [163 (52.6%) vs. 81 (81.0%), <0.001] and cough [172 (56.4%) vs. 73 (73.0%), =0.003] were more frequently observed than in non-oxygen group. The proportion of unvaccinated women was higher in oxygen group than in non-oxygen group [264 (85.2%) vs. 98 (98.0%), =0.003]. During the Omicron wave, patients were more likely to have no oxygen requirement [98 (31.6%) vs. 18 (18.0%), =0.009]. The risk of hypoxemic respiratory difficulty increased if SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred during the third trimester [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 5.083, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.095-23.593, =0.038] and C-reactive protein (CRP) was elevated ( 1.0 mg/dL) at admission (aOR 5.878, 95% CI: 3.099-11.146, <0.001). The risk was higher in unvaccinated patients (aOR 5.376, 95% CI: 1.193-24.390, =0.028). However, the risk was lower in patients during the Omicron wave (aOR 0.498, 95% CI: 0.258-0.961, =0.038). A quarter of SARS-CoV-2-infected women developed hypoxemic respiratory difficulty during pregnancy.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “SARS-CoV-2 infection during the third trimester, CRP elevation at admission, and no vaccination increased the risk of hypoxemia in pregnant women.”

For more information on this research see: Clinical Characteristics and Risk of Hypoxemia Development in Women Infected with SARS-CoV-2 during Pregnancy. Yonsei Medical Journal, 2024;65(1):27-33. Yonsei Medical Journal can be contacted at: Yonsei Univ Coll Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-752, South Korea.

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Hee Kyoung Choi, Dept. of Infectious Diseases, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, South Korea. Additional authors for this research include Yujin Sohn, Jisun Yun, Eui Hyeok Kim and Young Keun Kim.

Publisher contact information for the Yonsei Medical Journal is: Yonsei Univ Coll Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-752, South Korea.