Abstract
Background
Information on the severity of COVID-19 attributable to the Delta variant in the United States among pregnant people is limited. We assessed the risk for severe COVID-19 by pregnancy status in the period of Delta variant predominance compared with the pre-Delta period.
Methods
Laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections among symptomatic women of reproductive age (WRA) were assessed. We calculated adjusted risk ratios for severe disease including intensive care unit (ICU) admission, receipt of invasive ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and death comparing the pre-Delta period (January 1, 2020 – June 26, 2021) and the Delta period (June 27, 2021 – December 25, 2021) for pregnant and nonpregnant WRA.
Results
Compared with the pre-Delta period, the risk of ICU admission during the Delta period was 41% higher (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 1.41; 95% CI, 1.17-1.69) for pregnant WRA and 9% higher (aRR 1.09; 95% CI, 1.00-1.18) for nonpregnant WRA. The risk of invasive ventilation or ECMO was higher for pregnant (aRR 1.83; 95% CI, 1.26-2.65) and nonpregnant WRA (aRR 1.34; 95% CI, 1.17-1.54) in the Delta period. During the Delta period, the risk of death was 3.33 (95% CI, 2.48-4.46) times the risk in the pre-Delta period among pregnant WRA and 1.62 (95% CI, 1.49-1.77) among nonpregnant WRA.
Conclusions
Compared with the pre-Delta period, pregnant and nonpregnant WRA were at increased risk for severe COVID-19 in the Delta period.
Keywords: pregnancy, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Delta variant, women of reproductive age
Contributor Information
Penelope Strid, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 Emergency Response, Epidemiology Task Force, Pregnancy and Infant Linked Outcomes Team, Atlanta, GA, United States.
Lauren B Zapata, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 Emergency Response, Epidemiology Task Force, Pregnancy and Infant Linked Outcomes Team, Atlanta, GA, United States.
Van T Tong, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 Emergency Response, Epidemiology Task Force, Pregnancy and Infant Linked Outcomes Team, Atlanta, GA, United States.
Laura D Zambrano, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 Emergency Response, Epidemiology Task Force, Pregnancy and Infant Linked Outcomes Team, Atlanta, GA, United States.
Kate R Woodworth, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 Emergency Response, Epidemiology Task Force, Pregnancy and Infant Linked Outcomes Team, Atlanta, GA, United States.
Aspen P Riser, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 Emergency Response, Epidemiology Task Force, Pregnancy and Infant Linked Outcomes Team, Atlanta, GA, United States.
Romeo R Galang, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 Emergency Response, Epidemiology Task Force, Pregnancy and Infant Linked Outcomes Team, Atlanta, GA, United States.
Suzanne M Gilboa, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 Emergency Response, Epidemiology Task Force, Pregnancy and Infant Linked Outcomes Team, Atlanta, GA, United States.
Sascha R Ellington, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 Emergency Response, Epidemiology Task Force, Pregnancy and Infant Linked Outcomes Team, Atlanta, GA, United States.
Supplementary Material
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