Pharyngeal sampling for PCR-testing in the investigation of SARS-COV-2 vertical transmission in pregnancy

Abstract

The novel COVID-19 global pandemic has raised, among many others, major concerns regarding the impact of infection during pregnancy. Current evidence suggests that vertical transmission from mother to baby, antenatally or intrapartum, does occur, but is uncommon. According to the published reports of infants born to COVID-19-affected mothers, as well as the anecdotal experience of current practices worldwide, it appears that investigations regarding the potential of SARS-COV-2 vertical transmission in pregnancy have so far been based, to a large extent, on PCR testing of neonatal pharyngeal swab samples. Given that the transplacental route of intrauterine transmission for SARS-COV-2 is less likely to immediately involve the upper respiratory tract of the newborn, contrary to what happens after birth, it would be advisable to include appropriate biological samples, such as cord blood, placenta, amniotic fluid and neonatal blood, along with the pharyngeal samples, in order to contribute significantly to such investigations. It is important to point out that negative PCR tests of neonatal pharyngeal samples do not exclude the possibility of intrauterine viral transmission, while positive pharyngeal swabs are more likely to reflect intrapartum or postpartum contaminants, rather than antenatal intrauterine transmission, in the absence of other criteria. Revision and enhancement of the so far prevailing practices appear important, in order to facilitate the development of good clinical practice for managing neonates and ensuring safety of families and healthcare providers.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards COVID 19 prevention and precaution among non-teaching faculty in a private dental institution.

“…Several studies conducted in Asian countries have indicated high (83.6%) knowledge levels of COVID-19 among the general population which is similar to our findings (33). The findings of our study tells us the importance of educating non-teaching faculties about Coronavirus transmission and also the preventive measures that play a vital role in their protection from getting infected with the disease and which dramatically reduce the spread of the disease,while comparing with the previous study, people who knew about the route of transmission was 78.3% where people are more aware of COVID-19 transmission in this study than previous study (34). This study has several limitations.…”

Newborn Hearing Screening Results of Infants Born To Mothers Who Had COVID-19 Disease During Pregnancy: A Retrospective Cohort Study

“…Although uncommon, vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus has been demonstrated with the reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique, and the virus has been detected in the placenta, amnion, and blood of newborns born to mothers infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This vertical transmission was also confirmed with newborns who were positive for the IgM antibodies, which do not cross the placenta ( Badr et al 2020 ; Konstantinidou et al 2021 ).…”

Increased Placental Anti-Oxidant Response in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic COVID-19 Third-Trimester Pregnancies

“…At present, the extent to which the vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs and the timing of such transmission are unclear. Although SARS-CoV-2 intrapartum transmission is possible [2], low incidence rates of in utero transmission [3][4][5][6] and early and late adverse obstetric outcomes [7,8] suggest that the placenta may play a critical role in modulating maternal response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The main variable is placental permissibility to SARS-CoV-2 entry mechanisms initiated by spike protein (S) attachment to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor [9][10][11].…”