A considerable asymptomatic proportion and thromboembolism risk of pregnant women with COVID-19 infection in Wuhan, China.

OBJECTIVES

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had become a worldwide pandemic, however, information is limited on the asymptomatic proportion and thromboembolism risk of pregnant women with infection.

METHODS

All 32 pregnant women with COVID-19 who were admitted to the hospital in Wuhan during the outbreak from January 20 to March 18, 2020, were retrospectively reviewed for the clinical records, laboratory tests, chest CT scans, and neonatal outcomes.

RESULTS

There were 17 of the 32 patients (53%) with no subjective symptoms before admission, and 13 (41%) remained asymptomatic throughout hospitalization. There were 28 patients (88%) showing typical radiographic evidence of pneumonia on chest CT. The patients with COVID-19 were found in an increased risk of thromboembolism with much higher D-dimer levels than uninfected pregnant women. One neonate with asphyxia and positive immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies was reported.

CONCLUSIONS

The considerable asymptomatic proportion of pregnant women with COVID-19 indicates symptom-based screening would miss a number of cases. Chest CT could provide a useful screening resource during the COVID-19epidemic outbreak. Anticoagulation therapy for the postpartum patients may be helpful for good prognosis. The findings provide important information for the hospital isolation, control strategies and clinical therapy.