Vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection
Vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Summary/Abstract: Introduction The coronavirus responsible for SARS-CoV-2 infection is an encapsulated RNA virus, member of the Nidovirales order. Its transmission is mainly through Flügge's droplets, but other ways of transmitting the infection have been demonstrated, the presence of viral RNA was detected in feces, sperm, hematogenous, mucous tissue. Review Our paper is a review of a series of retrospective case studies from February 2020-present, from the specialized literature, aiming at SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women, as well as the hypothesis of its vertical transmission. Conclusions In conclusion, a certainty diagnosis is difficult to establish, due to the low number of infections in pregnant women, but also by the limitations of test methods: once by the relatively low sensitivity and specificity of tests (RT-PCR-sensitivity 70%, immunological: antibody determination of IgM type has a specificity of 80-95%, and in the case of IgG type antibodies, the sensitivity increases over time and inversely proportional to the symptoms). Another limitation in establishing a positive diagnosis is the difficulty of visualizing the virus in electronic microscopy, which is why identifying susceptible fetal organs, lung tissue, heart, digestive tract, through immunohistochemistry studies, could be a solution to highlight coronavirus infection and a step forward in demonstrating the hypothesis of vertical transmission.

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