required mechanical ventilation, the new guidelines explain she had an emergency caesarean section and made a good recovery.
“It’s understandable that pregnant women would be concerned about exposure to the virus and any negative effect it could have on their health and the health of their fetus,” Christopher Zahn, from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told The New York Times recently.
“However, it is critical to note that at this time, for the general public in the United States, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low.”
Pregnant women are known to have altered immune systems, which does put them at higher risk of complications from viruses like the flu. Still, not all of these illnesses are the same; and it’s still unclear exactly what happens to pregnant women who contract the COVID-19 virus.
As of March 14th, 2020 a newborn baby in England has tested positive for Covid-19. The infant is believed to be one of the world’s youngest patients with the disease.
The mother was rushed to hospital days earlier with suspected pneumonia and she and her child are being treated at separate hospitals, according to The Sun newspaper, which first revealed the case.
The newspaper said the woman was tested at North Middlesex Hospital but the result was not known until after the birth. It is not known whether the child contracted the disease in the womb or was infected during birth.
North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust said: “Two patients at North Middlesex University Hospital have tested positive for coronavirus.
“One has been transferred to a specialist centre and one is being treated in an isolation room.