AUTHOR=Rad Habib Sadeghi , Röhl Joan , Stylianou Nataly , Allenby Mark C. , Bazaz Sajad Razavi , Warkiani Majid E. , Guimaraes Fernando S. F. , Clifton Vicki L. , Kulasinghe Arutha TITLE=The Effects of COVID-19 on the Placenta During Pregnancy JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=12 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.743022 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2021.743022 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic. The virus primarily affects the lungs where it induces respiratory distress syndrome ranging from mild to acute, however, there is a growing body of evidence supporting its negative effects on other system organs that also carry the ACE2 receptor, such as the placenta. The majority of newborns delivered from SARS-CoV-2 positive mothers test negative following delivery, suggesting that there are protective mechanisms within the placenta. There appears to be a higher incidence of pregnancy-related complications in SARS-CoV-2 positive mothers, such as miscarriage, restricted fetal growth, or still-birth. In this review, we discuss the pathobiology of COVID-19 maternal infection and the potential adverse effects associated with viral infection, and the possibility of transplacental transmission.