Covid-19 illness preparation for adult, toddler, and pregnancy
March 11, 2020 1:32 PM   Subscribe

The odds are high that my family will get Covid-19. How should we prepare for the illness part of it?

My partner is a travelling healthcare provider who, each day, visits about 10 nursing homes and private homes (often with patients who are newly discharged from hospital). It’s VERY likely he’ll get the virus.

I have a dear relative who’s terminally ill, so I am visiting them in hospital almost daily.

And I might be a couple weeks pregnant.

We also have a toddler who’s in daycare. Pulling toddler out of daycare would mean bringing toddler to the hospital to visit with relative for hours at a time in an elderly ward, so that’s not ideal.

We’re all healthy non-smokers.
We’re all careful about handwashing.
But we’re probably all going to get sick.

A - What can we do to prepare for being sick and maximize our chances of a good recovery?

B - Are there any stats about Covid-19 and pregnancy?
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (10 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG): Practice Advisory: Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19):

Pregnant Women

At this time, very little is known about COVID-19, particularly related to its effect on pregnant women and infants, and there currently are no recommendations specific to pregnant women regarding the evaluation or management of COVID-19.

Based on limited data and case examples from previous coronaviruses (SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV) and a small number of COVID-19 cases, it is believed that pregnant women may be at higher risk of severe illness, morbidity, or mortality compared with the general population. Adverse infant outcomes (eg, preterm birth) also have been reported among infants born to mothers positive for COVID-19 during pregnancy. However, this information is based on limited data and it is not clear that these outcomes were related to maternal infection. Currently it is unclear if COVID-19 can cross through the transplacental route to the fetus. There have been a few unsubstantiated reports of infants testing positive for the virus shortly after birth, but validated data is required to understand how these infants were infected and whether or not the virus can be transmitted during pregnancy. In limited recent case series of infants born to mothers infected with COVID-19 published in the peer-reviewed literature, none of the infants have tested positive for COVID-19.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 1:47 PM on March 11, 2020 [1 favorite]


Frisco TX family

This article isn't really all that great or detailed, but basically a family in Frisco TX have been officially diagnosed, including a 3 year old. They are all (currently) quarantined in their home without any specific medical care or medical intervention, and the quarantine includes other young children in the family who have been tested but not yet diagnosed with it. Assuming you are relatively healthy and young, this is probably a decent description of what you will face.
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:06 PM on March 11, 2020


The UK's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists published some guidelines on coronavirus and pregnancy a few days ago.

There's very little data on it - the basis of the recommendations is studies into something like 18 cases in China. The good news is that it doesn't appear to be significantly worse if you're pregnant. I'm sure there will be more information emerging rapidly.

I found it interesting to learn recently that there is evidence that regular vitamin D supplementation can reduce respiratory tract infections. I don't think there's any covid-19 specific research on that though.
posted by leo_r at 3:18 PM on March 11, 2020 [1 favorite]


If you remember that pandemic prep essay that got posted way back when on the blue, the person that wrote it now has a TOC guide to that and more things.

Top thing that springs to mind for me is make sure you have shelf stable or long lasting in the fridge easy to make palatable food that everyone in your house can eat. I've found CostCo to be an excellent source of ready made food that can last a surprisingly long time in the fridge--like up to a month before opening--and be heated up and consumed without much effort.
posted by foxfirefey at 3:46 PM on March 11, 2020 [1 favorite]


Not to be alarmist, but the COVID cases in pregnant women in China were all among women late in the third trimester. SARS and MERS, which are close cousins to the current virus, had significantly poor outcomes for women in the first and second trimesters, though the sample sizes in the papers I read were small.
posted by coppermoss at 3:54 PM on March 11, 2020


I'm very sorry about your relative. I would encourage you to speak with a doctor at the hospital about whether or not it makes sense for you to be visiting each day given your partner's job. I hate to say this, but I'm sure you've thought about it. Do you have a way to videochat with them? I would take the time to make sure you're set up for that, and consider being proactive about limiting your visits to the hospital and with your relative. Good luck.
posted by bluedaisy at 4:13 PM on March 11, 2020 [11 favorites]


From the CROI conference, there's been no observed perinatal transmission (timestamped link to presentation).
posted by exogenous at 6:53 PM on March 11, 2020




Hi anon.

Solidarity as I'm expecting in the D.C. metro area and have had similar worries. We stocked up on some food, keep searching for more info on pregnancy and coved 19 (there's not much new), and just keep talking with each other about how we're holding up.

My current mantra is that even though I'm worried, I'm going to try to face whatever comes with courage, resolve and dignity. That's helped steady me a bit.

Hang in there.
posted by donut_princess at 5:45 AM on March 12, 2020 [3 favorites]




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