A nurse from Ohio gave birth while sedated and on a ventilator.
27-year-old Megan Jeffries is a nurse based in Celina. She gave birth last week, April 9, via Caesarian section. However, Jeffries, until today, is not aware that she has already given birth at 29 weeks.
In her seventh month of pregnancy, Jeffries was diagnosed with COVID-19. Her condition quickly worsened within twenty-four hours. From only experiencing fever and colds, which she thought was just sinus infection, Jeffries was sedated and was put on ECMO by the hospital. ECMO is used as an artificial lung to pump out blood fro oxygenation and then pumps the blood back in.
Undergoing C-Section
On April 9, the doctors decided to do an emergency C-section to Megan, even if she was only in her 29th week. That is to save both of them from the danger of the effects of the disease.
Jeffries' baby boy has been tested twice after being born prematurely. Both tests came out negative. The baby boy of Megan and her husband Donny is still in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital. He is the second child of the family. Because of the current circumstances, Donny was only able to see their son after three days.
Megan, on the other hand, remains on the ventilator.
No Name Yet
Even after one week of being born, the family has yet to give a name to their baby boy. They decided to do so because they are waiting for Megan's recovery, so she too can have a say on the name of their baby boy.
This baby is the second child of Megan and Donny. Their firstborn, a girl, is staying with his father but is continually looking for her mother.
The Mean Virus
According to the relatives of Jeffries, the 27-year-old-nurse knew what she was against - the mean virus (as Megan's brother, Shaun would describe it). She once told her mother the fear of dying if she gets the virus while working as a nurse. But she still insisted on going to work until she tested positive of COVID-19.
Right now, the family appeals to the public to take the virus seriously. They are experiencing first hand how this virus can immediately damage a person, even if they are living a healthy life. The relatives of Megan never thought that this virus would infect her because she was well and is not even a smoker.
Pregnant Women as Health workers
In the United Kingdom, expecting healthcare workers are full of apprehension nowadays. Especially after reports of other healthcare professionals who become infected. An even worse case was the death of a pregnant nurse who was close to giving birth.
Pregnant Women During the Coronavirus
The Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, says that the majority of pregnant women do not become seriously unwell when affected by the coronavirus. But they are still advised to take precautionary measures to avoid obtaining the virus.
Studies also show that infants whose mothers are infected with coronavirus are COVID-19 free when born.
