Maternal and neonatal outcomes of COVID-19 in a high-risk pregnant cohort with and without HIV.

BACKGROUND: The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women living with HIV (PLHIV) has not been described previously. OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical presentation and outcomes of a cohort of women with high-risk pregnancies with confirmed COVID-19 to determine whether risk factors for disease severity and adverse outcomes of COVID-19 differed in pregnant women without HIV compared with PLHIV. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled pregnant women with COVID-19 attending the high-risk obstetric service at Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa, from 1 May to 31 July 2020, with follow-up until 31 October 2020. Women were considered high risk if they required specialist care for maternal, neonatal and/or anaesthetic conditions. Common maternal or obstetric conditions included hypertensive disorders, morbid obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥40 kg/m2) and diabetes. Information on demographics, clinical features, and maternal and neonatal outcomes was collected and compared for PLHIV v. pregnant women without HIV. RESULTS: One hundred women (72 without HIV and 28 PLHIV) with high-risk pregnancies had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Among the 28 PLHIV, the median (interquartile range) CD4 count was 441 (317 - 603) cells/µL, and 19/26 (73%) were virologically suppressed. COVID-19 was diagnosed predominantly in the third trimester (81%). Obesity (BMI ≥30 in n=61/81; 75%) and hypertensive disorders were frequent comorbidities. Of the 100 women, 40% developed severe or critical COVID-19, 15% required intensive care unit admission and 6% needed invasive ventilation. Eight women died, 1 from advanced HIV disease complicated by bacteraemia and urosepsis. The crude maternal mortality rate was substantially higher in women with COVID-19 compared with all other deliveries at our institution during this period (8/91 (9%) v. 7/4 058 (0.2%); p<0.001). Neonatal outcomes were favourable. No significant differences in COVID-19 risk factors, disease severity, and maternal/neonatal outcome were noted for PLHIV v. those without HIV. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of high-risk pregnant women, the impact of COVID-19 was severe, significantly increasing maternal mortality risk compared with baseline rates. Virally suppressed HIV infection was not associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes in pregnancy.

Extracting and categorising the reactions to COVID-19 by the south african public - A social media study

Social Media can be used to extract discussion topics during a disaster. With the COVID-19 pandemic impact on South Africa, we need to understand how the law and regulation promulgated by the government in response to the pandemic contrasts with discussion topics social media users have been engaging in. In this work, we expand on traditional media analysis by using Social Media discussions driven by or directed to South African government officials. We find topics that are similar as well as different in some cases. The findings can inform further study into social media during disaster settings in South Africa and beyond. This paper sets a framework for future analysis in understanding the opinions of the public during a pandemic and how these opinions can be distilled [in a semi-automated approach] to inform government communication in the future. © 2021 IEEE.