Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine
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Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med. · Jul 2020
Review Case ReportsAn Analysis of 38 Pregnant Women with COVID-19, Their Newborn Infants, and Maternal-Fetal Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: Maternal Coronavirus Infections and Pregnancy Outcomes.
The emergence of a novel coronavirus, termed SARS-CoV-2, and the potentially life-threatening respiratory disease that it can produce, COVID-19, has rapidly spread across the globe, creating a massive public health problem. Previous epidemics of many emerging viral infections have typically resulted in poor obstetric outcomes including maternal morbidity and mortality, maternal-fetal transmission of the virus, and perinatal infections and death. This article reviews the effects of 2 previous coronavirus infections-severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) caused by MERS-CoV-on pregnancy outcomes. ⋯ All neonatal specimens tested, including placentas in some cases, were negative by RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2. At this point in the global pandemic of COVID-19 infection there is no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 undergoes intrauterine or transplacental transmission from infected pregnant women to their fetuses. Analysis of additional cases is necessary to determine if this remains true.