The world has become connected and united through a global pandemic that has drastically changed the normal way of life. The coronavirus, formally known as COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2, is a virus that spreads from close person-to-person interaction with those who have the virus. This somewhat seamless way for COVID-19 to be transmitted has caused numerous countries to implement orders for residents to stay at home.
As highlighted by Kampf et al (2020), ‘currently, the emergence of a novel human coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has become a global health concern, causing severe respiratory tract infections in humans. Human-to-human transmissions have been described with incubation times between 2–10 days, facilitating its spread via droplets, contaminated hands or surfaces.’ Anyone and everyone is at risk of being infected but those within the healthcare sector and on the frontline, such as nurses and midwives, have become severely affected by the pandemic due to increased numbers of sick patients at hospitals and worrying about people who are older, suffering from underlying health conditions or even women who are pregnant.
As the virus continues to spread, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control haven advised the public to sanitise and wash hands regularly in order to aid in stunting the spread. Midwives who may be susceptible to the virus need to ensure that they are washing their hands in order to prevent themselves contracting the virus and infecting patients in their care. ‘The ability of hand hygiene, including hand washing or the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers to prevent infections, is related to reductions in the number of viable pathogens that transiently contaminate the hands,’ the Centers for Disease Control announced. ‘Hand washing mechanically removes pathogens, while laboratory data demonstrate that 60% ethanol and 70% isopropanol, the active ingredients in CDC-recommended alcohol-based hand sanitisers, inactivates viruses that are genetically related to, and with similar physical properties as, the SARS-CoV-2.’
Hand hygiene is not only important for everyday life but for healthcare professionals who are constantly dealing with the public. For midwives, when they enter a person's home during this time, they are putting themselves and their clients in potential harm which is why they must constantly perform proper hygiene to prevent the spread. With hospitals becoming swarmed with those who have the virus and the new restrictions being put in place for visitors who can be there during labour, it can be difficult and even scary for a pregnant woman to deliver there. This is why woman are starting to think of other birthing options, such as having a home birth. They are putting their trust into their midwives in order to have a safe, healthy birth. The virus is new, it does not have a ton of research behind it and there is still no cure which further instills fear in society, especially pregnant women. If a pregnant woman contracts the SARS-CoV-2, what will happen to them and their baby? What happens if they give birth during that time?
According to Professor Russell Viner, the President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 2020) so far there has not been any evidence to show that a baby will be born with the virus. ‘Based on current evidence, we don't believe that babies born to women who test positive for coronavirus should be separated. The impact of this separation, even as a precaution, can be significant on both the baby and the mother. We will review this recommendation as we see more evidence in the weeks and months ahead,’ Viner says. ‘There is also limited evidence about the transmission of coronavirus through breastmilk—and based on what we know now, we feel the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh any potential risks.’
Healthcare professionals have been studying pregnant women who develop symptoms of the virus, making sure that they are receiving the best possible care and protecting their unborn baby. From current data, they have seen that COVID-19 cannot spread to the unborn child and that the bond created between newborn babies and their mothers is too important to break.
Although the virus is creating social distancing, quarantainment and fear, new mothers are still being treated with the utmost care during this time. Midwives and other healthcare professionals are urged to perform safe sanitary actions and ensure that both mother and child develop that close bond with one another during this uncertain time.