UW Medicine finds high rates of COVID-19 among pregnant women

University of Washington (UW) researchers estimate the COVID-19 infection rate among pregnant women in Washington state to be 70% higher than in similarly aged adults, according to a study published this week in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The multisite study included 35 Washington hospitals and clinics, which account for 61% of births in the state each year. The study also found the prevalence of COVID-19 infections among pregnant patients from communities of color was two to four times greater than expected, based on the race-ethnicity distribution of pregnant women in Washington in 2018. Pregnant women should be considered at a high risk of COVID-19 infection and be included in Phase 1B vaccination schedules, the authors say. (UW Medicine news release, 2/16/21)