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.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
This content was published on
A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
This content was published on
The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Dortmund’s Kobel is first Swiss goalie in Champions League final
This content was published on
Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
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.