Effects of COVID-19 on pregnant women are similar to their non-pregnant peers, with more pronounced complications in women who are symptomatic, says a medical expert.

Aiono Professor Alec Ekeroma, when asked by the Samoa Observer if pregnant women should worry about the impact of a positive COVID-19 test, said that as long as pregnant mothers have had their full vaccination the adverse effects will be minimal. 

He said in order for pregnant women to avoid infection they must apply similar measures that other members of the public are taking to prevent COVID-19 infection.

"Avoid contact with an infected person or a carrier since most are asymptomatic, especially when we have high vaccination rates, one has to assume that anyone entering your space is a carrier of the virus," Aiono said. "Difficult to avoid everyone for a sustained period, so vaccination to prevent severe respiratory illness and other complications is key to protection.”

Aiono said the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is the vaccine of choice for pregnant women.

Currently the National University of Samoa (N.U.S.) President and Vice Chancellor, Aiono is also a Honorary Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health in New Zealand’s University of Otago.

It is not known how many pregnant women have tested positive to COVID-19 in the data that is released on a daily basis by the Ministry of Health (M.O.H.) since the country’s first community case was recorded on 17 March.

The latest data on COVID-19 community cases (up until 2pm Monday 28 March) recorded 125 new community cases to push the total in Samoa to 1,364 cases. According to the M.O.H. 57 per cent of community cases are women with 43 per cent men with disaggregated data by age group showing that the prevalence of COVID-19 infection is "significantly higher" among those aged 15–35.