HEALTHWATCH--
((MICHELE))
WHEN IT COMES TO TREATING
PREGNANT WOMEN DURING A PANDEMIC
- THERE'S A NEW TOOL TO HELP
PROTECT BABY AND MOTHER.
((TOM))
HERE'S LOCAL FIVE'S CONNIE
FELLMAN SHOWS US THIS IMPORTANT
LIFE
SAVING TECHNOLOGY.
AS THE RACE CONTINUES TO FIND AN
UNIVERSAL EFFECTIVE
TREATMENT FOR COVID-19, ONE
GROUP OF CRITICAL PATIENTS IS
LEFT OUT OF CLINICAL TRIALS.
NOW RESEARCHERS ARE SIMULATING
TRIALS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN
THAT COULD SAVE BOTH MOM AND
BABY.
NEW DATA FROM THE C-D-C REPORTS
THAT PREGNANT WOMEN ARE AT AN
INCREASED
RISK OF SUFFERING SEVERE
COVID-19 ILLNESS.
"THE VIRUS ENTERS VIA A RECEPTOR
KNOWN AS ACE2. AND PREGNANT
WOMEN,
IT'S BEEN SHOWN THAT THEIR LUNGS
ACTUALLY CONTAIN AN ABUNDANCE
COMPARED TO A NORMAL PERSON."
(:09) BUT TREATMENT CAN BE
TRICKY.
"WE DON'T HAVE ANY EXISTING
STANDARD OF CARE FOR PREGNANT
WOMEN WITH COVID-19. WE DON'T
HAVE A DRUG WE CAN GIVE THEM. WE
DON'T HAVE
CLINICAL TRIALS THAT WE CAN
ENROLL THEM IN." (:10)
THERE'S A CONCERN THAT ANY
MEDICINE PRESCRIBED TO THE
MOTHER COULD HARM
THE BABY. INSTEAD .
"IT MAY BE IMPORTANT FOR THE
PATIENT TO DELIVER." (:02)
TWENTY PERCENT OF PREGNANT WOMEN
WITH COVID DELIVERED
PREMATURELY COMPARED TO THE
NATIONAL AVERAGE OF TEN PERCENT
BEFORE THE COVID PANDEMIC
STARTED. BUT BY USING ELECTRONIC
HEALTH RECORDS,
THESE RESEARCHERS ARE SIMULATING
TRIALS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN TO
FIND THE BEST COURSE OF
TREATMENT WITHOUT HAVING TO
DELIVER.
"WE CAN USE HIGH-POWERED
STATISTICS, TOOLS LIKE MACHINE
LEARNING TO LOOK AT
CASES IN WHICH PREGNANT WOMEN
HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO DRUGS
EITHER
SIMILAR TO THE EXPERIMENTAL
THERAPEUTICS." (:10)
THEY'VE USED THIS METHOD FOR
OTHER HEALTH CONDITIONS WITH
SUCCESS.
"NIFEDIPINE, WHICH WAS ALREADY
BELIEVE TO BE SAFE FOR USE IN
MANAGING HIGH
BLOOD PRESSURE IN PREGNANCY, MAY
ALSO BE USEFUL IN THE CONTEXT OF
DIABETES IN PREGNANCY." (:13)
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO COVID-19,
ANY PROMISING INFORMATION CAN BE
A SPECIAL DELIVERY FOR BOTH MOM
AND BABY. I'M MARTIE SALT
REPORTING.
PREGNANT WOMEN ARE FIVE TIMES
MORE LIKELY TO BE HOSPITALIZED
IF THEY
CONTRACT COVID-19. AT SOME
HOSPITALS, THE DRUG REMDESIVIR
(REM-DIS-
I-VEER) HAS BEEN USED TO TREAT
PREGNANT PATIENTS WITH COVID.
...AND THAT'S YOUR HEALTHWATCH,
I'M CONNIE FELLMAN, LOCAL FIVE
NEWS.
((TOM))
