MUSCAT — In Oman, a total of 70 pregnant women infected with coronavirus were hospitalized, including nine in the intensive care units, local media reported on Sunday citing a top official at the country’s Ministry of Health. According to Dr. Moza Abdullah Al-Sulaimani, director of gynecology and obstetrics at Oman’s Royal Hospital, three critical cases went into premature labor in order to improve their response to treatment in which one case was before the 24-week of pregnancy and the fetus died, and two cases were after 28-week of pregnancy and the premature newborns were admitted to the neonatal intensive care units. In a statement, Dr. Moza said: “Pregnant women being infected with COVID-19 is as usual as the rest of the community.” “However, the physiological changes in their bodies, especially on the immune system, that occur in the pregnant woman’s body, may affect her resistance to viral infections in general. The pregnant woman is immunocompromised due to her body’s attempt to adapt and accept the existence of the fetus inside her,” Dr. Moza explained. “The pregnant woman is expected to suffer from mild to moderate symptoms, nonetheless, because of the increase in the size of the uterus during the advanced stage of pregnancy that causes pressure on the chest and the lungs, may affect the interaction of the body if the inflammation of the lung occurs,” she added. Dr. Moza also said that the department faces some challenges as some pregnant women refrain from informing the medical staff that one of their family members is infected before being admitted. “The increase in cases brings pressure on the hospital’s beds and the medical staff,” she said. Therefore, all pregnant women are urged to report to the staff any case of coronavirus infection in their family, or herself or if showing any COVID-19 symptoms. The WHO suggests, pregnant women with symptoms of COVID-19 should be prioritized for testing. If they have it, they may need specialized care. However, there is no evidence to date that a pregnant woman with the disease can pass the virus to her fetus or baby during pregnancy or delivery. The active virus, though, has not been found in samples of amniotic fluid or breast milk, according to the WHO. — Agencies