Universal screening for sars-cov-2 in pregnant entered in an obstetrics hospitalization unit

Abstract

Objective: Determine the strengths and weakness of asymptomatic screening for COVID-19 in pregnant women. Analyze the results an percentage of positives in asyntomatic pregnant women. Design: Descriptive retrospective observational study. Setting: Mancha-Centro Hospital (Spain). Population: Asymptomatic pregnant women that get in to the hospital. Methods: Between the 12th of April and 1th of June 2020, all the asymptomatic pregnancies were screened with diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2. Data collection was done by reviewing the medical records. Main outcomes measures: Clinical characteristics, management, treatment, and obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Results: A total of 117 patients were routinely screened using serological tests in maternal blood and PCR in nasopharyngeal exudate to detect COVID-19 patients. Of the 117 patients screened, 24 (20.5%) were positive in at least one of the two tests used for screening, of which 19 (79%) were asymptomatic and 5 (21%) symptomatic. Conclusions: We recommend universal screening of all pregnant woman for COVID-19 during the pandemic because of the limits of the symptomatic screening seen in the actual literature and the importance of transmission between asymptomatics patients.