Study: human placenta is target of coronavirus infection
SARS-CoV-2 – the virus causing Covid-19 – can infect cells of the human placenta, Bern and Lausanne scientists have found. They say that the virus also proliferates and infects neighbouring placental cells.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/IVI and CHUV/SWI swissinfo.ch/ilj
Español
es
La placenta humana, blanco de la infección por coronavirus
“This is a major advance in our understanding of Covid-19 during pregnancy,” explained Marco Alves, study group leader and immunologist at the Institute of Virology and ImmunologyExternal link (IVI), in Bern.
“Thousands of infectious viral particles can be produced rapidly in the placenta. In addition, we observed that expression of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor in the placenta is highly variable and specific to each pregnancy, which might explain why the virus sometimes is transmitted to the foetus,” Alves said.
Pregnant women have a 70% greater risk of becoming infected withSARS-CoV-2 than the general population of the same age, the researchers said.
“If they become infected, the risk of a severe progression, i.e. admission to intensive care, is around 5-10%,” explained David Baud, head of obstetrics at the Lausanne University Hospital, (CHUVExternal link), who was also involved in the study, in the joint statement.
The risk of premature delivery rises two to three times and the risk of foetal death also increases by two to three times if the pregnant woman is infected.
Vaccine role
The messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine (such as those produced by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech) which has been given to several hundred thousand pregnant women so far, presents no increase in risk to the mother and child, the statement added.
mRNA technology is a process that injects a fragment of the coronavirus blueprint into human cells to prompt the body to produce a defensive response.
It explained that the messenger RNA did not pass into the foetus, but that the antibodies developed by the mother did cross the placental barrier and would protect the child.
“The fact that the virus can infect and proliferate in the placenta demonstrates the need for women to be vaccinated,” said the two researchers.
Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is currently recommended for all pregnant women in Switzerland. On October 26, the use of a third booster jab was cleared by the Swiss medicines regulator for high risk people, but not pregnant women.
More
More
Covid vaccine boosters approved for vulnerable groups in Switzerland
This content was published on
Covid-19 booster jabs have been approved for vulnerable groups in Switzerland.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Switzerland recommends Covid jab for pregnant women
This content was published on
Swiss experts are recommending that pregnant women get the Covid jab from the second trimester onwards - in line with advice in other countries.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.