Pregnant deaths from COVID-19 in Turkey: '99 percent unvaccinated'

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Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has announced that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination rate of the pregnant is low in Turkey.

In a message on his social media account, Fahrettin Koca has said, "In 2020, the number of pregnant deaths increased by 52 percent when compared to the pre-pandemic period." Minister Koca has stressed that the pregnant deaths from COVID-19 has increased further in 2021:

As for this year, we have lost 50 percent more prospective mothers due to COVID-19 when compared to the previous year. 99 percent of the pregnant that we lost were unvaccinated. The vaccination rate among the pregnant population is unfortunately very low.

How does COVID-19 affect the pregnant?

According to a report released by the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), COVID-19 may prove fatal among the pregnant. Pregnant women are more likely to catch the disease than the ones who are not pregnant. The risk is higher among the pregnant who have diseases such as pregnancy-related diabetes, KOAH, hypertension and hypothyroid.

The Alpha and Delta variants of the virus also lead to more grave consequences for the pregnant. The risk of premature birth is 2-3 times higher among the women who are COVID-19 positive. (RT/SD)