COVID-19 cases among pregnant women in LA County have tripled in recent weeks



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LOS ANGELES (KABC) – Los Angeles County reported more than 2,400 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and noted a recent tripling of weekly cases among pregnant women.

The county warned of the recent tripling, reporting that 27 cases were reported in the week ending June 27, while 81 were reported in the week ending July 25.

The County Public Health Department encourages pregnant and breastfeeding women to get vaccinated.

“Unfortunately, pregnant women are at high risk of serious health problems if they are infected with COVID-19,” County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “Getting the vaccine is the best way to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection and complications for you and your baby. If you are pregnant or a new mother, we encourage you to get vaccinated as soon as you can and you can get vaccinated at any time during pregnancy. Studies continue to show that vaccines are safe for expectant and new moms and are very effective against COVID-19 and the Delta variant. “

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As of Aug. 10, 11,264 pregnant women have tested positive for COVID, according to the county. The majority of cases – 77% – have been among Latinas.

“Although rare, women infected during pregnancy can transmit the virus to their newborns,” a county statement said. “Of the 10,998 births for which there was information on testing, 55 infants tested positive for COVID-19. “

Twelve pregnant women who tested positive have died.

A total of 2,426 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 1,352,791 since the start of the pandemic. Five deaths have been reported and 1,653 people are currently hospitalized due to COVID.

Cases have been reported at an average rate of over 3,000 cases per day over the past week or so, and an increase in the number of cases is expected in the coming weeks with an increase in testing in schools and hospitals. businesses, according to county health officials.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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