Risks for long symptoms after COVID during pregnancy tied to severity, comorbidities

February 13, 2024

2 min read

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Key takeaways:

• Long COVID prevalence was 9.3% at first study visit 6 months or longer after SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy.
• Women with comorbidities, economic hardship and more severe infection had higher long COVID odds.

About one in 10 women who develop COVID during pregnancy will have post-acute sequelae, or long COVID, according to a presenter at The Pregnancy Meeting.

Risk for long COVID was associated with greater infection severity, comorbidities and lower socioeconomic status, according to presenter Torri D. Metz, MD, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Utah.

“We evaluated participants for post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) infection at a mean of 10 months, which is important as PASC infection symptoms may change over time. Higher acute infection severity, baseline medical comorbidities and economic hardship were all associated with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection,” Metz told Healio. “I hope this will raise awareness of PASC and the need to consider this diagnosis in people with ongoing or new symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection.”

Metz and colleagues conducted a prospective, multicenter observational cohort study with data from 1,503 women who had SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. Participants were enrolled across 41 sites in the U.S. from December 2021 to August 2023. Researchers estimated the prevalence of long COVID and characterized associated risk factors.

The primary outcome was long COVID defined by the NIH RECOVER Consortium based on symptoms and severity at least 6 months after first SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Among the participants, 61% had an index SARS-CoV-2 infection on or after December 2021 and 51% were fully vaccinated before infection.

At first study visit 6 months or longer after SARS-CoV-2 infection, long COVID prevalence was 9.3%. The most common defining symptoms of long COVID were post-exertional malaise (82%), fatigue (75%) and dizziness (62%).

In a multivariable model, researchers observed increased odds for developing long COVID among women with obesity (adjusted OR = 1.63; 95% CI, 1.13-2.44), preexisting depression or anxiety disorder (aOR = 2.64; 95% CI, 1.8-3.87), economic hardship (aOR = 1.66; 95% CI, 1.11-2.48) and treatment with oxygen during infection (aOR = 1.88; 95% CI, 1.01-3.5).

“We will continue to follow this cohort longitudinally for 4 years to better understand the trajectory of PASC,” Metz said. “We are also studying the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the offspring of mothers who contract the virus during pregnancy.”

For more information:

Torri D. Metz, MD, MS, can be reached at [email protected].

Reference:

Sources/Disclosures

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Source:

Metz TD, et al. Development of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 after infection in pregnancy. Presented at: The Pregnancy Meeting; Feb. 10-14, 2024; National Harbor, Md.

Disclosures:
Metz reports being a site principal investigator for a Pfizer study. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.

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