(307) Absence of SARS-CoV-2 in Second Trimester Amniotic Fluid during SARS-CoV-2 Virus Pandemic: A Prospective Study

Women undergoing genetic amniocentesis between September 2020 and April 2022 were asked to participate in the study. On the day of amniocentesis, an additional 5 mL of amniotic fluid, 5 mL of a maternal blood sample, and nasal swabs were collected from each participant.  After July 2021,  vaccination status was obtained. Amniotic fluid was tested for the presence of the virus by RT-PCR test using an automated bead-based method for extracting total nucleic acid. An electrochemiluminescence immunoassay on maternal blood was used to detect SARS-CoV-2 total (IgG/IgM) antibodies against nucleocapsids. A positive result indicates an immune response to a recent or prior infection with SARS-CoV-2. A molecular PCR, nucleic acid amplification test was also used to detect SARS-CoV-2 antigen using maternal nasal swabs.

Results:

The present study enrolled 92 patients. There were 16 patients who had a history of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection: eight of them contracted SARS-CoV-2 virus infection during the first and second trimester, and eight had SARS-CoV-2 virus infection before pregnancy. Forty-nine patients were vaccinated prior to amniocentesis.  All 92 amniotic fluid samples tested negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. There were 5 positive and 3 negative SARSC-CoV-2 maternal nucleocapsid antibody tests among the eight patients who had SARS-CoV-2 during the 1^st and 2^nd trimester of pregnancy.  All 8 patients had negative swab tests for the SARS-CoV-2 virus antigen.  

Conclusion:

In the eight patients who had SARS-CoV-2 virus infection during the first and second trimester there was no SARS-CoV-2 virus in the second trimester amniotic fluid samples. This finding suggests that after a first and second trimester SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, it is highly unlikely to find the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the amniotic fluid.