Pregnants must be extra cautious in wake of Omicron

Hyderabad: As infections of the Omicron continue to spread across the State, as 87 per cent of samples sequenced between January 1 and 5 were of the variant, mostly around the GHMC area. There is a scare among pregnant women, as they are unaware of what all precautions they should take. Dr Bindu Priya, uro-gynaecologist and obstetrician, KIMS Hospital, lists the measures which one should watch out for.

Expectant mothers need to be extra cautious when Omicron cases are on the rise, she says, explaining the impact on pregnant women and the precautions they need to take.

"The impact of Omicron on pregnant women is not yet completely known. Pregnancy doesn't increase the risk of getting Covid. But it can be a serious illness, putting both mother and the baby at risk. Pregnant women also should follow the same precautions, like others, to protect themselves from Covid," she said.

Precautions to be taken: Wear a mask covering mouth and nose; follow hand hygiene- frequently wash hands with soap or alcohol-based sanitiser; maintain social distance of at least two feet - avoid crowded places; postpone unnecessary travels, especially international, and stay indoors with proper ventilation; consider getting vaccinated, as per government regulations; take nutritious diet and maintain adequate hydration

Dr Priya said, "If you have symptoms of Covid, like fever, running nose, sore throat, cough, breathing difficulty, headache, body ache, vomiting, loose stools, pain in your tummy or any other unwell feeling, consult doctor at earliest," she advised.

She also stressed about pregnancy care in Covid time and said, "Pregnant women need to take all necessary precautions while visiting hospitals. They can also consider telemedicine facilities, if they have low risk of pregnancy. Breast-feeding women should continue to feed their babies, following all the Covid-appropriate behaviour. Restrict the number of visitors post-delivery and continue to stick to family members. Even Covid-positive mothers also can safely breast-feed their babies; there is no increased risk of transmission through breast milk."

Vaccination is top priority

There have been lots of myths and misconceptions surrounding the Covid vaccination of pregnant mothers. It is an accepted fact that clinical trials of vaccination in pregnant women are lacking. But till date evidence from many countries shows that there have not been any serious concerns with regard to Covid vaccine during pregnancy; that may be the only best possible solution as of now to protect pregnant mothers from this deadly infection. It is also found to be safe for breast-feeding mothers", explained Dr Priya.

Omicron cases are increasing at an alarming level all over the world, including India. Nearly 1.8 lakh new Covid cases have been recorded on January 10 in the country. So, one should be very careful, and pregnant women in particular, need to be extra cautious, she urged.