Pregnancy and COVID-19: A Review

The implications of COVID-19 on pregnant women are a scarcely researched topic that requires attention. The risks of the disease are a major issue for the pregnant woman and its foetus, requiring a deep and thorough understanding of the conditions that the patients go through after they are infected. This review is a comprehensive study of pregnancy and COVID-19, providing a cognisance of the pathophysiology of the disease on women during pregnancy. It has also summarised the way infection affects the body, acknowledging the changes and effects of a typical female during pregnancy. The study has primarily focused on infection from SARS-CoV-2, and highlighted the infections in contrast to MERS-CoV. The study shows that the infection triggers a cytokine storm in the human body, giving rise to several immune responses that cause changes in immune cells, including leukocytes. The complications thus arise require attention and have been addressed in this study. The lack of unequivocal evidence limits the study to a great extent, making it difficult to draw conclusions; however, notable remarks on prevention and precautionary measures have been entailed in the study. The review concludes by discussing vaccination for pregnancy as a necessary measure going forward. Key words: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, Pregnancy, Neonates, SARS, MERS, Vertical transmission, vaccination.