Maternal Morbidity and Mortality During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This was a cohort study of people who delivered on randomly selected days between March 1 and December 31, 2019 and March 1 and December 31, 2020 to evaluate the effect of a major public health crisis (COVID-19 pandemic) on maternal morbidity and mortality among pregnant and immediately postpartum patients. This time period allowed for calendar months in 2020 representing the key time period of the pandemic - after testing became available and changes were implemented in healthcare. Inclusion of the same months from 2019 represent the time period prior to the pandemic. In addition to the cohort of women, all pregnant and immediately postpartum (within 6 weeks of delivery) patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection were included. The objectives were to describe COVID-19 disease severity in a large, diverse cohort of pregnant patients and o compare perinatal outcomes based on disease severity. Patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 were followed for maternal and neonatal outcomes through 6 weeks after delivery or surgical removal of the pregnancy. Compared with pregnant COVID-19 patients without symptoms, those with severe/critical COVID-19, but not those with mild/moderate COVID-19, were at increased risk of perinatal complications.