COVID and pregnancy

Pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID compared with non-pregnant people. If you are pregnant, you should get the COVID vaccine. Getting a COVID vaccine during pregnancy can protect you from severe illness from COVID and protect your infant for the first few months of life. If you have questions about getting vaccinated, a conversation with your healthcare provider might help, but is not required for vaccination.

Learn more from the CDC on COVID vaccines while pregnant or breastfeeding. 

• Hand hygiene is important!
  • You can wash your hands often with soap and water. You must wash for at least 20 seconds.
  • You can use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Clean surfaces that are touched the most in your home, including:
  • Countertops
  • Faucets
  • bathroom sinks
  • toilets
  • door knobs
  • light switches
  • phones
• Don't be around people who are sick.
• Consider wearing a mask if you are ill, are concerned with being around many people, or if advised by your provider.

Symptoms can be different for different people. They can include: 

• Fever of 100.4° or higher
• Sore throat
• Congestion and runny nose
• Chills
• Cough
• Feeling very tired or worn out
• Body aches
• Headache
• Hard to breathe
• Loss of taste and smell
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loose stools

• Use an at-home COVID test or make an appointment with your clinic to get tested. 
• Call your provider that is caring for your pregnancy. This can be an OB, Midwife, Nurse Practitioner, or Family Medicine doctor.
• Plan to stay home and away from other people for at least 5 days. 
• Rest and drink plenty of water
• Pay attention to your symptoms carefully: check for a fever at least twice a day
• Take acetaminophen (Tylenol®) for body aches or fever. Do NOT take ibuprofen. This is not safe to use in pregnancy.
• Seek care right away if you have:
  • Fever of 101° or higher
  • Have trouble breathing
  • Have pain or pressure in your chest
  • Have bluish lips or face
  • Are not feeling normal fetal movement
  • Are having more than 5 contractions per hour
  • Have leaking of fluid or blood from your vagina
• Wear a face mask if you must leave your home

• Get tested for COVID.
• Call their doctor for any special guidance.
• The sick person should try to stay away from others. 
• Have them wear a face mask when they are in the same space as others
• Do your best to prevent the spread of COVID:
  • Wipe off any surfaces that they touched
  • Try not to share household items such as dishes, towels and sheets.
  • Wash any clothing, bedding and towels before the next use
• Keep pets away from sick persons. This is to avoid the pet spreading the virus on its fur.
• Pay attention to their symptoms closely.
• Treat fever or body aches with acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen. 
• Seek care right away if they have:
  • trouble breathing
  • pain or pressure in their chest
  • bluish lips or face
  • become confused or can’t wake them up