What are the risks of the COVID-19 Omicron variant if you are pregnant?

Emily Adhikari, M.D. DALLAS – April 25, 2022 – Women who were pregnant during the recent Omicron surge were diagnosed with COVID-19 at a much higher rate than during previous phases of the pandemic, but were less likely to develop severe illness, a study by UT Southwestern and Parkland Health scientists found.

Are pregnant women at increased risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19?

Pregnant women are at increased risk for severe COVID-19–related illness, and COVID-19 is associated with an increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes and maternal and neonatal complications (1–3).

Can the delta variant of COVID-19 affect pregnancy?

A growing body of evidence has linked the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, with an increased risk for pregnancy complications, including stillbirths.

What are some of the risks of having COVID-19 while pregnant?

Effect on Pregnancy Outcomes. For example, COVID-19 during pregnancy increases the risk of delivering a preterm (earlier than 37 weeks) or stillborn infant. People with COVID-19 during pregnancy may also be more likely to have other pregnancy complications.

Should I be worried about getting the COVID-19 Omicron variant?

While some have suggested that most people will eventually get the coronavirus, you should do your best to avoid infection with Omicron—there is no justification for deliberately getting infected so you have what you think will be a mild illness that will provide you with more immunity going forward, the doctors say.

Does the Omicron COVID-19 variant cause more severe disease?

Omicron infection generally causes less severe disease than infection with prior variants. Preliminary data suggest that Omicron may cause more mild disease, although some people may still have severe disease, need hospitalization, and could die from the infection with this variant.

Does the COVID-19 Omicron variant spreads more easily?

New variants of the virus are expected to occur. Slowing the spread of the virus, by protecting yourself and others, can help slow the emergence of new variants. The Omicron variant causes more infections and spreads faster than the original SARS-CoV-2 strain of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Does COVID-19 increase the risk of miscarriage in the first trimester?

Based on the evidence presented here, women who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 in their first trimester may be at an increased risk of a miscarriage. However, the overall rate of miscarriage in our study population was 8%.

What can you tell us about pregnancy after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 shot?

What can you tell us about that? Results from published studies suggest there is no increased risk of first trimester pregnancy loss for patients who receive any of the three vaccines that currently have emergency use authorization: Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson-Janssen.

Can you still test positive after recovering from COVID-19?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some people who contract COVID-19 can have detectable virus for up to three months, but that doesn't mean they are contagious. When it comes to testing, however, the PCR tests are more likely to continue picking up the virus following infection.

Is there a difference in spread between the Omicron and Delta COVID-19 variant?

The Omicron variant spreads more easily than earlier variants of the virus that cause COVID-19, including the Delta variant. CDC expects that anyone with Omicron infection, regardless of vaccination status or whether or not they have symptoms, can spread the virus to others.

Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe for pregnancy?

Vaccination is recommended for pregnant women to prevent COVID-19, including severe illness and death. COVID-19 vaccination is safe and effective when administered during pregnancy

How do the COVID-19 Delta variants differ?

Research suggests that changes to the spike protein may make the Delta variant up to 50% more transmissible than other COVID-19 variants. For people who haven't had the coronavirus vaccine, the Delta variant may cause more severe illness than the original strain of the virus.

Which groups of people are at increased risks of severe illness from COVID-19?

Among adults, the risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age, with older adults at highest risk. Severe illness means that the person with COVID-19 may require hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help them breathe, or they may even die. People of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are also at increased risk for severe illness from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Who are at higher risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19?

Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

Who is at risk for long COVID-19?

Most at risk for long COVID were people who had been hospitalized with a severe case of COVID, although this group was very small, just 3.5% of participants in the survey. This group of 3,882 people was 10 times more likely as those with milder cases to experience long COVID.

Can I get pregnant after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine?

Many people have become pregnant after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, including some who got vaccinated during COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials.

Is it safe to take Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy?

People who are pregnant have not reported different side effects from people who are not pregnant after vaccination with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines). Fever, for any reason, has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

How does the COVID-19 vaccine pregnancy registry work?

The v-safe COVID-19 Vaccine Pregnancy Registry is a registry to collect additional health information from v-safe participants who report being pregnant at the time of vaccination or a positive pregnancy test after vaccination.

Has the COVID-19 vaccine been tested on pregnant women?

Evidence continues to build showing that COVID-19 vaccination before and during pregnancy is safe and effective.

Is it safe to take the Pfizer or Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy?

People who are Pregnant Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (mRNA COVID-19 vaccines) are preferred over the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for primary and booster vaccination, but the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine may be considered in some situations.

What are the most common organs affected by COVID-19?

Lungs are the main organs affected by COVID-19; however, the virus can also affect other organs, such as the kidneys, brain, and liver. Lungs are the main organs affected by COVID-19.

Where was the Omicron COVID-19 variant first detected?

On November 24, 2021, South Africa reported the identification of a new COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.529, to the World Health Organization (WHO).

B.1.1. 529 was first detected in specimens collected on November 11, 2021 in Botswana and on November 14, 2021 in South Africa.

Is the Delta COVID-19 variant more severe than the Omicron?

Health experts say that Omicron generally causes milder symptom than previous variants. But the death count is high because Omicron spreads quickly and is infecting a large number of people.

Is Omicron COVID-19 variant more contagious for children?

Omicron has proven to be the most contagious COVID-19 variant of the pandemic so far. The main difference with Omicron is the sheer number of kids getting sick at the same time. Without vaccines and boosters for younger children, it feels like an agonizing wait for many families.