<p>At a time when obesity and pregnancy are considered high-risk for Covid-19 patients, a morbidly obese 32-year-old Covid positive woman delivered a healthy baby at a city hospital.</p>.<p>The Fraser Town resident, who weighed 110 kilograms, approached the hospital with multiple complications, besides comorbid conditions, triggering alarm among the medical staff.</p>.<p>Being in late-stage pregnancy, she was referred to Manipal Hospital, Whitefield, by a clinic after an RT-PCR test by the BBMP found her Covid positive. </p>.<p>However, she only approached the hospital 48 hours later, after the onset of labour pain, doctors said.</p>.<p>Medical staff at the hospital added the patient’s arrival took them by surprise. “For one, we had not evaluated her before,” explained Dr Teji Dawane, a consulting obstetrician and gynecologist. </p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Alarming history</strong></p>.<p>In addition to her comorbidities such as obesity, the patient also had a history of several surgeries, including two previous Caesarean deliveries, the last of which was less than 11 months before.</p>.<p>Overtly, the patient’s symptoms were mild (a cold and a cough), but preliminary tests found that she had an abnormal heart rate (120 bpms) in addition to a reducing oxygen saturation level, which was down to 88%. “The patient’s glucose levels were also deranged,” Dr Dawane said.</p>.<p>At the same time, the patient was also said to be panicked over fears that Covid-19 had spread to the foetus. A Cesarean was done. Dr Dawane clarified that the baby tested negative for the disease.</p>.<p>Nevertheless, doctors said the child had to be separated from the mother during the period of hospitalisation to prevent the spread of infection.</p>.<p>“Newborn babies are especially vulnerable to Covid-19 because their immunity levels are low,” a doctor said.</p>.<p>“The Covid-19 outbreak has been especially kind to pregnant women and babies,” Dr Dawane added. “There have not been many complications among these two groups.”</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>One week in home isolation</strong></p>.<p>The patient was discharged on the eighth day. This was followed by a mandatory stint of one week of home isolation.</p>.<p>“The baby was also discharged on the same day. The patient was instructed to feed the baby with the mother’s milk indirectly,” doctors said. </p>
<p>At a time when obesity and pregnancy are considered high-risk for Covid-19 patients, a morbidly obese 32-year-old Covid positive woman delivered a healthy baby at a city hospital.</p>.<p>The Fraser Town resident, who weighed 110 kilograms, approached the hospital with multiple complications, besides comorbid conditions, triggering alarm among the medical staff.</p>.<p>Being in late-stage pregnancy, she was referred to Manipal Hospital, Whitefield, by a clinic after an RT-PCR test by the BBMP found her Covid positive. </p>.<p>However, she only approached the hospital 48 hours later, after the onset of labour pain, doctors said.</p>.<p>Medical staff at the hospital added the patient’s arrival took them by surprise. “For one, we had not evaluated her before,” explained Dr Teji Dawane, a consulting obstetrician and gynecologist. </p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Alarming history</strong></p>.<p>In addition to her comorbidities such as obesity, the patient also had a history of several surgeries, including two previous Caesarean deliveries, the last of which was less than 11 months before.</p>.<p>Overtly, the patient’s symptoms were mild (a cold and a cough), but preliminary tests found that she had an abnormal heart rate (120 bpms) in addition to a reducing oxygen saturation level, which was down to 88%. “The patient’s glucose levels were also deranged,” Dr Dawane said.</p>.<p>At the same time, the patient was also said to be panicked over fears that Covid-19 had spread to the foetus. A Cesarean was done. Dr Dawane clarified that the baby tested negative for the disease.</p>.<p>Nevertheless, doctors said the child had to be separated from the mother during the period of hospitalisation to prevent the spread of infection.</p>.<p>“Newborn babies are especially vulnerable to Covid-19 because their immunity levels are low,” a doctor said.</p>.<p>“The Covid-19 outbreak has been especially kind to pregnant women and babies,” Dr Dawane added. “There have not been many complications among these two groups.”</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>One week in home isolation</strong></p>.<p>The patient was discharged on the eighth day. This was followed by a mandatory stint of one week of home isolation.</p>.<p>“The baby was also discharged on the same day. The patient was instructed to feed the baby with the mother’s milk indirectly,” doctors said. </p>
