Objective To evaluate the perinatal and maternal outcomes of pregnancies in SARS-CoV-2 infected women, comparing spontaneous and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) pregnancies (with either own or donor oocytes). Design Multicentre, prospective, observational study. Setting 78 centres participating in the Spanish COVID19 Registry. Patients 1,347 SARS-CoV-2 positive pregnant women registered consecutively between February 26 th and November 5 th , 2020. Interventions Patient´s information was collected from their medical records, and multivariable regression analyses were performed, controlling for maternal age and the clinical presentation of infection. Main outcome measures Obstetrics and neonatal outcomes, pregnancy comorbidities, intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation need and medical conditions. Results The IVF group was composed of 74 (5.5%) women whereas the spontaneous group included 1,275 (94.5%) women. Operative delivery rate was high in all patients, especially in the IVF group, where C-section became the most frequent method of delivery (55.4%, compared to 26.1% of spontaneous). The reason for C-section was induction failure in 56.1% of IVF patients. IVF women had more gestational hypertensive disorders [16.2% vs 4.5% among spontaneous, adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) 5.31, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 2.45-10.93) irrespective of oocyte origin. The higher rate of ICU admittance observed in the IVF group (8.1% vs 2.4% spontaneous) was attributed to pre-eclampsia (aOR 11.82, 95% CI 5.25-25.87), not to the type of conception, Conclusions High rate of operative delivery has been observed in SARS-CoV-2 infected women, especially in IVF pregnancies; method of conception does not affect foetal or maternal outcomes, except for pre-eclampsia.

Pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection have a significantly higher risk of maternal death, ICU admission, preterm delivery, and stillbirth compared to those without infection. Additionally, the risk of preeclampsia (PE) increases in pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2, particularly in severe cases. The association between COVID-19 and PE is likely attributed to various mechanisms, including direct effects of the virus on trophoblast function and the arterial wall, exaggerated inflammatory response in pregnant women, local inflammation leading to placental ischemia, SARS-CoV-2-related myocardial injury, cytokine storm, and thrombotic microangiopathy. This paper aims to explore the similarities between PE and SARS-CoV-2 infection, considering COVID-19 as a valuable study model. By examining these parallels, we can enhance our knowledge and comprehension of PE. We wish to emphasize the potential for COVID-19-induced myocardial injury in pregnant women and its connection to the increased maternal mortality rate.