Coronavirus: Pregnant nurse shares advice for expectant mothers amid Covid-19 outbreak

Pregnant women considered in higher-risk category

A nurse who is 26 weeks pregnant with her second child is using Instagram to reassure other expectant mothers amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Heather Hodnicki, from New Jersey, has been documenting her pregnancy on Instagram over the last few months.

After receiving numerous enquiries from other women who are pregnant, she has used the platform, where she has more than 21,000 followers, to share important information about coronavirus and the impact it can have on pregnancy.

In a video shared this week, Hodnicki, who is currently working as a full-time nurse at an in-patient acute rehab facility, explained that pregnant women are in the higher-risk category of contracting coronavirus because their immune systems are weakened.

Because of this, Hodnicki says it is highly recommended by federal health organisations such as the CDC and WHO that pregnant women limit their social interactions and practise social distancing.

Hodnicki also references preliminary studies on the virus’s impact on pregnancy, which have shown that it is unlikely that pregnant women can pass coronavirus to their babies in utero. It is believed that there is a risk of positive mothers passing the virus to their newborn baby. So far, it has not been shown to cause birth defects as of yet.

Studies have also found it is unlikely that the virus can be transmitted through breast milk.

In regards to delivery, Hodnicki says that women who are pregnant and have coronavirus should speak with their doctors about any concerns, and advises women who have planned a hospital birth not to suddenly switch to a home birth.

Hodnicki also explains that expectant mothers will, in most cases, only be able to have one person with them.

“It’s just that one supportive person per patient,” she says.

The mum also advised everyone to follow recommended safety precautions, including hand-washing and covering their mouths if they cough or sneeze, before concluding her message with a reminder to be kind during the ongoing pandemic.

According to Hodnicki, she does not expect to be assigned to any patients who have tested positive for coronavirus.

However, she told Good Morning America that the hospital is still taking precautions.

"We took precautions when there was a Covid-19 scare days ago, but the patient tested negative," she said. "That shows how real the situation is."

In a previous post to her Instagram, Hodnicki wore expired personal protective equipment (PPE) to remind everyone of the safety precautions that they should be following.

“Being a nurse and pregnant I feel the need to spread the important facts to everyone that I have the privilege of reaching through social media,” she wrote.

The CDC and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have shared specific guidance for healthcare facilities dealing with pregnant women who have tested positive for coronavirus. In addition to advising hospitals to temporarily separate newborns from their mothers - as the infants should be considered PUIs - the guidelines also state that new mothers should wear masks and follow hand washing safety precautions if they do come in contact with newborn.

According to the CDC, the guidelines are "based upon the limited evidence available to date about transmission of the virus that causes Covid-19, and knowledge of other viruses that cause severe respiratory illness including influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)."

Because of the many unknowns, the health organisation says the recommendations are "intentionally cautious until additional data become available to refine recommendations for prevention of person-to-person transmission in inpatient obstetric care settings".