ABSTRACT
Introduction: The UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS) has reported on risk factors for admission to hospital amongst obstetric patients with SARS-CoV-2, however, it did not evaluate deprivation as a risk factor.1 Deprivation is a recognised risk factor for mortality from COVID-19 amongst the general population.2 We, therefore, investigated the demographics, including deprivation scores, of obstetric patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 within our local health board. Methods: Caldicott Guardian approval was obtained and requirement for ethical approval was waived by the local research ethics service. All pregnant or recently pregnant patients (within 6 weeks post-partum) within our health board area with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test between 16 March 2020 and 18 December 2020 were retrospectively identified from regional infection surveillance and local obstetric unit reports. Residential area deprivation was classified using the Scottish Index for Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), with quintile 1 representing the most deprived and quintile 5 representing the least deprived areas. R version 4.0.3 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing) was used to perform analyses. Results: Over the study period, 97 patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Comparison between those in the lowest and highest SIMD quintiles is as shown below. Those from a black or ethnic minority background accounted for 31.9% of positive test results and 50% of admissions to critical care. [Formula presented] Discussion: In this cohort of obstetric patients, mothers from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas accounted for a higher proportion of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases (and hospital / critical care admissions) than those from more affluent areas. This is, to our knowledge, the first study to investigate this association in obstetric patients. The relationship demonstrated between ethnicity, deprivation and SARS-CoV-2 requires further investigation and may have implications for future resource allocation and service planning.