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Review
. 2020 Nov;84(5):e13308.
doi: 10.1111/aji.13308. Epub 2020 Aug 1.

SARS-CoV2 and pregnancy: An invisible enemy?

Sonam Verma  1   2 , Ebony B Carter  1   2 , Indira U Mysorekar  1   2
Affiliations
Review

SARS-CoV2 and pregnancy: An invisible enemy?

Sonam Verma et al. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 is an emerging viral disease caused by a member of the betacoronavirus family, SARS-CoV-2. Since its' emergence in December 2019, it has rapidly caused close to half a million fatalities globally. Data regarding the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy are limited. Here, we review pathological findings in placentas from women who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 as well as information on pregnancy outcomes associated with related and highly pathogenic coronaviruses (ie, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-COV) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome, MERS). We present immune-inflammatory correlates of COVID-19 in pregnancy and review the role of the Renin Angiotensin System in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 in pregnancy. Greater understanding of the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 in the placenta will yield important insight into potential therapeutic interventions for pregnant women with COVID-19.

Keywords: ACE2; AT1; COVID-19; placenta; pre-eclampsia; renin-angiotensin system.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Schematic of SARS‐CoV‐2 mechanisms, targets, and outcomes in pregnancy
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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