Failure to Detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the Air During Active Labor in Mothers Who Recently Tested Positive

Frontiers in Public Health

article

Corina N. Schoen¹  Elizabeth Morgan¹  Heidi K. Leftwich²  Christine Rogers³  Anand Soorneedi⁴  Cassandra Suther⁴  Matthew D. Moore⁴ 

[1] Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate;Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School/UMASS Memorial Health;Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts-Amherst;Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts-Amherst

关键词: SARS-CoV-2;    COVID;    vaginal delivery;    labor and delivery;    transmission;    coronavirus;    viral transmission;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpubh.2022.881613

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

The risk of potential SARS-CoV-2 transmission by infected mothers during labor and delivery has not been investigated in-depth. This work collected air samples close to (respiratory droplets) and more distant from (aerosol generation) unvaccinated patients who had previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during labor within 5 days of a positive test. All but one of the patients wore masks during the delivery, and delivery was carried out in either birthing or negative pressure isolation rooms. Our work failed to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in any air samples for all of the six patients who gave birth vaginally, despite validation of the limit of detection of the samplers. In sum, this brief report provides initial evidence that the risk of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during labor may be mitigated by the use of masks and high ventilation rates common in many modern U.S. medical facilities; however more work is needed to fully evaluate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission during labor and maternal pushing.

【 授权许可】

CC BY