A Pregnant Mother Infected With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 With Substance Dependence: A Case Report.

Abstract

Background: In December 2019, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in China, and now, it has spread all over the world. Pregnant women are a susceptible population, but there is scant information about COVID-19 in this population. Here, we report a case of a mother with substance use disorders who was infected with COVID-19 in her pregnancy.

Case: The patient was a 29-year-old, primigravida mother at the 37th gestational week who was referred to our center because of vaginal bleeding and severe uterine contractions. The patient was abusing opioids. With the suspicion of placental abruption, she was admitted for cesarean section. One day after delivery, she developed dyspnea, rhinorrhea, and vomiting. These were thought of as withdrawal signs. Despite methadone administration, these signs persisted. After ruling out deprivation syndrome and possible obstetric causes, a SARS-CoV-2 Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was ordered; the result was positive.

Conclusion: In this case, because of the flu-like symptoms of substance withdrawal and postpartum causes of shortness of breath, the medical team's attention was drawn to these causes. SARS-CoV-2 infection should be considered as a differential diagnosis for these patients.