Abstract
The risk of potential SARS-CoV-2 transmission by infected mothers during labor and delivery has not been investigated in-depth. This work collected air samples close to (respiratory droplets) and more distant from (aerosol generation) unvaccinated patients who had previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during labor within 5 days of a positive test. All but one of the patients wore masks during the delivery, and delivery was carried out in either birthing or negative pressure isolation rooms. Our work failed to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in any air samples for all of the six patients who gave birth vaginally, despite validation of the limit of detection of the samplers. In sum, this brief report provides initial evidence that the risk of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during labor may be mitigated by the use of masks and high ventilation rates common in many modern U.S. medical facilities; however more work is needed to fully evaluate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission during labor and maternal pushing.
Keywords: COVID; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; labor and delivery; transmission; vaginal delivery; viral transmission.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, Transmission, COVID, Labor and delivery, viral transmission., vaginal delivery, 【초록키워드】 Ventilation, risk, Masks, Aerosol generation, Mask, SARS-CoV-2 transmission, Patient, limit of detection, Birth, Viral transmission, SARS-CoV-2 RNA, mother, Evidence, vaginal delivery, Negative pressure, Respiratory droplets, Positive test, isolation rooms, labor, positive, transmission of SARS-CoV-2, initial, tested, detect, collected, evaluate, carried, the patient, investigated, provide, 【제목키워드】 failure,