July 12, 2024 – Almost 1 in 10 pregnant people infected with COVID-19 end up developing long COVID, according to a study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Researchers at University of Utah Health looked at the medical records of more than 1,500 people who got COVID-19 while pregnant and checked their self-reported symptoms at least 6 months after infection, according to a news release from the school.
The scientists discovered that 9.3% of those people reported long COVID symptoms, such as fatigue and issues in their gut.
To make sure those long COVID symptoms were not actually symptoms of pregnancy, the research team did a second analysis of people who reported symptoms more than 12 weeks after giving birth. The risk of long COVID was about the same as in the first analysis.
“It was surprising to me that the prevalence was that high,” Torri Metz, MD, vice chair for research of obstetrics and gynecology at the school and co-leader of the study, said in the release. “This is something that does continue to affect otherwise reasonably healthy and young populations.”
The school said this is the first study to look at long COVID risks in pregnant people. Previous research found other dangers for pregnant people who get COVID, such as a higher chance of hospitalization or death, or complications such as preterm birth.
In the general population, research shows that 10%-20% of people who get COVID develop long COVID.
Metz said health care providers need to remain alert about long COVID, including in pregnant people.
“We need to have this on our radar as we’re seeing patients. It’s something we really don’t want to miss. And we want to get people referred to appropriate specialists who treat long COVID,” she said.
