Being pregnant in the COVID-19 pandemic: Effects on the placenta in all aspects

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which had spread to the world from Wuhan (China) in late December, was announced as a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. In addition to acute respiratory syndrome symptoms, this virus also affects nonrespiratory organs, according to existing data. ACE2 and TMPRSS2, which play a critical role in the entrance of SARS-COV-2 into the cell, are coexpressed in placental development stages, so the placenta also carries a risk for this virus. Many studies have shown that this virus causes some histopathological changes in the placenta. The vertical transmission of the virus is not yet clear, but available data have shown that the indirect effects of the virus can be seen on the fetus. This article focuses on revealing the effects of the virus on the placenta in all aspects.