The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that pregnant women are at higher risk of severe illness and death if they contracted infectious COVID-19. 

Pregnant woman
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CDC reported that pregnant women are at increased risk if they got infected with COVID-19.

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The vast majority of the population already identified the most vulnerable group for COVID-19, but only a few knew those at increased risk from the virus. The CDC released a pair of reports on Monday about pregnant women with COVID-19.

The reports revealed that pregnant women are more likely to become severely ill, and may lead to death if they get infected with the coronavirus. The reports further noted that it could also be a cause of premature delivery.

Even though the overall risk for severe illness and death remains low, the CDC researchers found that pregnant women who tested positive for COVID-19 are more likely to need intensive care, ventilation, and heart and lung support compared to non-pregnant women who also tested for the virus.  

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Another report shows that a rate of 12.9 percent of pregnant women experienced preterm birth or delivered a baby while only 10.2 percent did not experience it. 

Dr. Denise Jamieson, chair of the gynecology and obstetrics department at Emory University School of Medicine, said the studies add up to the growing body of evidence that pregnant women are at increased risk if they tested positive for the virus. 

Jamieson also told reporters on Monday that "it also demonstrates that their infants are at risk, even if their infants are not infected, they may be affected." This means that the baby could not be infected but they could be affected as they are born on a very premature date. 

In one of the reports presented on Monday, researchers reviewed the data of 461,825 women between the ages of 15 and 44 who tested positive for COVID-19 between Jan. 22 and Oct. 3. However, they only focused on those who experienced COVID-19 symptoms, according to a CNN News report.  

The researchers found that 10.5 per 1,000 pregnant women needed intensive care compared to 3.5 per 1,000 women who are not pregnant. The researchers also said that pregnant women who got infected are three times more likely to need breathing with invasive ventilation than women who are not pregnant. 

They also expanded their study based on racial and ethnic minorities. Among those who got infected, the researchers found out that 2.4 Hispanic women are more likely to die, while Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander women had a risk for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission.

The team of researchers added that regardless of whether a woman is pregnant or not, those who are age 35 years old are more likely to experience severe illness.