Clinical Profile of COVID-19 Positive Obstetric Patients Admitted to a Tertiary Care Hospital during the Two Waves of COVID-19

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a global pandemic which undoubtedly hit the whole world so hard. There have been multiple waves across the globe of varying time, duration, and intensity, India has also witnessed two waves sweeping the entire nation. The second wave had startling intensity with massively increased oxygen requirement, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. The effect was even more pronounced in the pregnant women as there was increased maternal morbidity and mortality. However, there are limited reports on the impact of COVID-19 during pregnancy. Objective: This study is aimed at highlighting the variance in clinical profile of pregnant patients in first and second wave of COVID-19 in India. Materials and methods: A retrospective observational comparative hospital-based study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Delhi during the two waves of COVID-19. The first wave in India lasted from May 2020 to October 2020, and the second wave lasted from April 2021 to June 2021.We obtained the medical records and compiled clinical and outcome data for all pregnant patients, who were admitted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of our Hospital during the first and second wave of pandemic with a laboratory-confirmed report of SARS-CoV-2. Results and conclusion: The second wave definitely saw more number of symptomatic patients, an increase in symptom of shortness of breath, increase in oxygen requirement, ICU admissions, marginally increase lower segment cesarean section (LSCS) rates and associated comorbidity such as hypertensive disease of pregnancy.