Search

Objective: To investigate the rate of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) positivity in asymptomatic pregnant women admitted to hospital for delivery in a Turkish pandemic center.Study Design: This prospective cohort study was conducted in Ankara City Hospital between April, 15, 2020 and June, 5, 2020. A total of 206 asymptomatic pregnant women (103 low-risk pregnant women without any defined risk factor and 103 high-risk pregnant women) were screened for SARS-CoV-2 positivity upon admission to hospital for delivery. Detection of SARS-CoV2 in nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal samples was performed by Real Time Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) method targeting RdRp (RNA dependent RNA polymerase) gene. Two groups were compared in terms of demographic features, clinical characteristics and SARS-CoV-2 positivity.Results: Three of the 206 pregnant women participating in the study had positive RT-PCR tests (1.4 %) and all positive cases were in the high-risk pregnancy group. Although, one case in the high-risk pregnancy group had developed symptoms highly suspicious for COVID-19, two repeated RT-PCR tests were negative. SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positivity rate was significantly higher in the high-risk pregnancy group (2.9 % vs 0%, p = 0.04).Conclusion: Healthcare professionals should be cautious in the labor and delivery of high-risk pregnant women during the pandemic period and universal testing for COVID-19 may be considered in selected populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To demonstrate the effect of the Syrian refugee population on the prevalence of congenital TORCH (Toxoplasmosis, Other [syphilis, varicella‐zoster, parvovirus B19], Rubella, Cytomegalovirus [CMV] and Herpes) infections and to evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of population‐based TORCH screening during pregnancy in Turkey. Methods: Pregnant women (n = 9754) were enrolled. Ultrasonographic findings, immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG seropositivity, avidity, amniocentesis and DNA‐polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results were compared. Costs were calculated based on invoice amounts from the Health Applications Communique pricing system. Results: The prevalence of TORCH seropositivity in Turkey was not significantly different between all regions (P > 0.05). Overall, 1333 (13.67%) pregnant Syrian refugees were included in the study. Acute CMV, rubella and Toxoplasma gondii infections (according to low IgG avidity in IgM positive patients) were detected in 17.82%, 21.53% and 14.07% of women, respectively. Twenty‐four women underwent an amniocentesis procedure and nine of them had positive DNA‐PCR and reverse transcription‐PCR results. All women with positive results opted to terminate the pregnancy. There was no statistical difference among groups according to the rate of low IgG avidity in IgM‐positive patients and termination rates for T. gondii, rubella and CMV (P > 0.05). Total cost for screening the entire study population was presented in US dollars (USD). A total of 71 529 and prenatal diagnosis with positive invasive test results were obtained in nine women: toxoplasmosis in four, CMV in three and rubella in two women. Conclusion: Population‐based screening for prenatal TORCH infections is not cost‐effective in Turkey. Syrian refugees have a limited effect on the increasing prevalence of congenital TORCH infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]