As local lockdowns continue to crop up across the UK, updated advice has been released for pregnant healthcare workers.
The new guidance has been put together by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of Midwives and the Faculty of Occupational Medicine.
The original document, which was published at the peak of the pandemic, reported:
- Pregnant women (of any gestation) are at no more risk of contracting the virus than any other non-pregnant person in similar health
- Those who are 28 weeks pregnant or more, there is an increased risk of becoming seriously ill if they contract COVID-19.
Additionally, the advice notes that the latter is true of any viral illness, including flu.
Clinically vulnerable
However, the groups now remind healthcare workers that the document was written at the peak of the pandemic. Clinically vulnerable individuals – pregnant women included – were advised to strictly adhere to social distancing.
‘The situation has now changed. The governments of all four UK countries have eased some restrictions on lockdown,’ the document reads.
‘This has led to changes in advice given to extremely vulnerable individuals (those who have been shielding) and the implementation of social distancing measures now varies across regions and UK countries according to virus prevalence.’
Complex factors
Citing the now ‘complex landscape of factors’, the organisations are urging the government to release additional advice for pregnant workers.
New developments such as regional differences, they argue, mean ‘a single recommendation is no longer appropriate’.
Its clinical advice is that social distancing is especially important for pregnant women who are 28 weeks and beyond. Additionally, those who are pregnant with other medical conditions should be considered on an individual basis.
You can read the full document here.
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