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Trinidad and Tobago has recorded its first maternal death linked to COVID-19 and the first case of mother-to-child transmission.
This according to Dr Adesh Sirjusingh, director of women’s health at the Ministry of Health, who speaking at a COVID-19 press conference on Monday announced that a mother has since died after giving birth due to complications from COVID-19.
“Unfortunately, I have the sad news to report that in the recent past, we actually lost our first mother after giving birth, to COVID-19 in Trinidad and Tobago due to complications from COVID-19. have reached this place that we see around the world where maternal deaths are being reported, ”he said.
Sirjusingh noted a jump of more than 100 pregnant COVID-19 cases, from 170 cases in June to 285 currently. These cases, he said, were at various stages of pregnancy and some were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) and high dependency units (HDUs). In addition, he said, a recent case of mother-to-child transmission was detected through hospital screenings. The mother, he said, was asymptomatic and the child is Trinidad and Tobago’s youngest COVID-19 case.
“In another sad case, we had a mother who passed on covid and because of our careful screening in hospitals, we screen our pregnant patients when they come for childbirth. We understood that she was positive and luckily she was asymptomatic. When we checked the baby, in this case, the baby tested positive. “
“This is the first documented case of mother-to-child transmission in Trinidad and Tobago and it is the youngest patient we have to report. At the moment the case is ongoing and I am not allowed to share too many clinical details, but I would like to say that the mother and baby are doing well and are being monitored by healthcare professionals ”, a- he declared.
Sirjusingh added that pregnancy remains a high-risk category with people over 35, with varying comorbidities at an even higher risk of contracting the virus. People in the second half of pregnancy are more likely to be admitted to intensive care units and intensive care units with an increased risk of illness or death.
While fetal effects and transmissions from the virus, he said, were rare.
“In this case, so far, we have not seen any direct fetal effects from fetal abnormalities and transmission to the baby is very rare but claimed in the scientific literature … Regarding the pregnancy itself, COVID -19 increases your risk of preterm delivery, hospitalization and may have a possible cardiac complication due to the action of COVID on the heart. Breastfeeding remains safe and strongly recommended, “he said.
He said several nursing mothers have responded to the call to be vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine and so far no complications have been observed in this group. However, he urged the non-vulnerable population to get vaccinated for the sake of those who are vulnerable.
“We have had one maternal death and one baby who contracted transmission and you now have over 270 cases of pregnant women who contracted COVID. These are the reasons why I ask the general population to get vaccinated. These are the vulnerable people we talk about every time, they cannot be vaccinated. If you live in the household with your pregnant patient, take the opportunity to get the vaccine now, ”Sirjusingh said.
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