Screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection in women prepared for elective Cesarean Section: A tertiary hospital study

Background and objectives: The SARS-CoV-2 infection is a major concern as universal testing should be undertaken to pregnant women due to the high danger of transmission from a pregnant woman to her newborn. This study was conducted to report the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection in women admitted to hospital for purpose of preparation for elective cesarean section and to find out their risk factors and any histories of the infection previously. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on 1000 on late third trimester pregnant women whom were prepared for elective cesarean section at department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erbil-Iraq from 1st Aug 2021 till 30th Jul 2022, History of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and current signs and symptoms of the infection were recorded. All women underwent SARS-CoV-2 infection screening using nasal and throat swabs using polymerase chain reaction procedure. Results: Only (21.2%) of them were positive for the virus. There was a significant association between the current confirmed polymerase chain test with education, being a smoker, and all known signs and symptoms of the infection, such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. When the clinical and social characteristics of women with low-risk and high-risk pregnancies were compared, there was a strong link between education, smoking, and loss of taste. Conclusion: Pregnant women may be advised to be tested for SARS-CoV-2 before cesarean section as almost one-quarter of participant were positive for the infection regardless of having sign and symptoms or not.