18 June Why are pregnant women susceptible to COVID-19? An immunological viewpoint
Hong Liua, Li-Ling Wanga, Si-Jia Zhaoa, Joanne Kwak-Kimb, Gil Mord, Ai-Hua Liaoa
ABSTRACT
The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019 and became an epidemic in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, has rapidly spread throughout the world. The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, is known to be genetically similar to, but distinct from, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV).
The clinical manifestation of COVID-19 can be characterized by mild upper respiratory tract infection and lower respiratory tract infection involving non-fatal pneumonia and life-threatening pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome. It affects all age groups, including newborns.
In particular, pregnant women may be more susceptible to COVID-19 as pregnant women, in general, are vulnerable to respiratory infection.
In pregnant women with COVID-19 there is no evidence of vertical transmission of the virus, but a higher prevalence of preterm births has been observed. COVID-19 can alter immune responses at the maternal-fetal interface and affect the well-being of mothers and babies.
In this review, we focus on why pregnant women are more susceptible to COVID-19 and potential maternal and fetal complications from an immunological point of view.