Since the outbreak of the coronavirus four years ago, long-standing Covid-19 has been a puzzling issue for researchers. The syndrome can sometimes present persistent symptoms that differ between patient groups, and the virus may pose a particular risk to pregnant women, a vulnerable population.
Even so, this study is concerned about the effect of pregnancy on our immune system and the effect it has on the body, medical experts said that more research is needed. The study was funded as part of the National Institutes of Health’s Covid-19 Improving Recovery Initiative, commonly known as RECOVER.
“I was initially surprised by the long-term spread of Covid in this population,” said Tori Metz, lead author of the study and a maternal and fetal medicine specialist at University of Utah Health. “It caught my attention because I need to have this on my radar when I’m seeing patients.”
As part of a study of 1,500 people, researchers analyzed individuals who contracted the coronavirus during pregnancy. Half of the participants, mainly in their 30s, were fully vaccinated at enrollment. 10 months after initial infection, study participants were assessed for long-term symptoms of Covid.
Some of the more common symptoms include nausea, fatigue, and gastrointestinal problems, some of which may be pregnancy symptoms.
The researchers wanted to confirm whether the reported symptoms were related to Covid rather than due to pregnancy or the postpartum period. When evaluated 10 months after the first infection, they found that the results continued and were still evident. This suggests to the researchers that the symptoms of the study participants, such as fatigue and pain, are not caused by pregnancy, but are long-term symptoms of Covid.
“This is another opportunity to draw attention to the importance of continuing care for patients after pregnancy [if they have] Chronic conditions that require special care and require handover to people who can properly manage them,” Metz said.
Cynthia Abraham, an associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, who was not involved in the study, said the study highlights the risks to the respiratory system during pregnancy, which can lead to worse outcomes.
“Most of the data we have is from people who are not pregnant … so this paper is focused on a large population that has been adequately studied,” said Abraham of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
This year, additional federal dollars have been allocated to study the long-term impact of Covid. The Biden administration He announced that he will invest an additional 515 million dollars in the next 4 years. It is not clear how much it will be Researching pregnancy and covid. To date, RECOVER has employed more than 30,000 people, including children and pregnant women.
Monica Longo, an OB/GYN NIH RECOVER team researcher and maternal-fetal medicine specialist, emphasized the importance of understanding how the disease affects pregnancy and the potential impact on the fetus.
“Those nine months are critical for the developing fetus, and any changes in their environment can significantly alter their development,” Longo said. “Therefore, it is important to investigate the effects of covid exposure on the fetus.”
Longo suggested that future studies could examine the effects of the virus on the fetus and the implications for the baby after birth, particularly in terms of developmental outcomes.