Doctor says pregnant women are NOT more vulnerable to the killer coronavirus despite the UK telling expectant mothers to stay at home
- Australian doctor says pregnant women are not more susceptible to coronavirus
- Pregnant women in the UK have been told to stay home for up to three months
- Doctor Ric Gordon said Australian data suggests the isolation isn’t necessary
- Up to 60 per cent of Australians could catch respiratory infection in worst-case
- Australians’ way of life has been significantly changed – could last for six months
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
An Australian doctor insists pregnant women are not more vulnerable to the coronavirus after a warning was issued in the UK telling expectant mothers to avoid all social contact.
Pregnant women in the UK have been told to stay at home for three months after the Government added them to the list of most ‘at risk’ people.
However, Australian medical expert Dr Ric Gordon rubbished the claims and said the 12-week isolation was not necessary.
Pregnant women in the UK have been told to stay at home for three months after the Government added them to the list of most ‘at risk’ people (stock image)
‘The current guidelines through our own college suggests women are not more susceptible when they’re pregnant to this particular virus,’ he told the Today Show on Tuesday.
‘They should go about their normal self-isolating procedures of not getting too close to people, washing hands and if they get sick report the symptoms as quickly as possible.’
Dr Gordon said there is no clinical evidence that suggests the virus can be passed onto an unborn baby.
‘We can reassure pregnant women it is very unlikely this particular virus will affect their babies,’ he said.
‘There doesn’t seem to be an increase in miscarriage rate and there doesn’t seem – the data is small – there is no evidence to suggest the virus will affect their baby unless they contract the virus after the baby is born.’
‘The baby is susceptible to viruses as we all are after it’s born.’
Australian medical expert Doctor Ric Gordon rubbished the claims and said the 12-week isolation was not necessary
While there have been a couple of reports of premature delivery in women who have had the coronavirus, Dr Gordon said it is unclear whether that was a decision made by doctors or if the virus caused premature labour.
Australians have been told to prepare for 150,000 coronavirus deaths in a worst-case scenario – amid warnings the country is making the same mistake that forced Italy into complete lockdown.
Paul Kelly, Australia’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said on Monday anywhere between 20 and 60 per cent of the population could catch coronavirus.
‘It’s something in that range,’ he said.
‘This is an infectious disease … The death rate is about one per cent, so you can do the maths.’
Prime Minister Scott Morrison introduced a string of measures this week in a bid to slow the spread of the virus, including demanding all international arrivals self-isolate for 14 days and banning all non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people.
The crisis has changed the way Australians live – and Mr Morrison has no doubt it will continue to do so for months to come.
‘This will be a difficult six months. It could be longer. It could be sooner than that,’ he told ABC radio on Monday.
Events across the nation have been altered or cancelled all together in an attempt to slow the spread of the deadly respiratory infection.
The Sydney Royal Easter Show, Vivid Lights festival and Anzac Day parades are all iconic fixtures which will no longer be celebrated in 2020 as a result of the virus.
Pictured: People waiting outside Royal Melbourne Hospital to be tested for coronavirus