New data on COVID and pregnancy reveals additional risks, shows added benefits to getting vaccinated

Caitlin Gerber's effort to conceive and her pregnancy fell during a high-stress time for health care, but she felt somewhat reassured that she had already tested positive for COVID in December of 2020.

"You know, you don't want to think that lightning is going to strike twice," she recalled.

A teacher, Gerber was fully vaccinated and then boosted during her pregnancy. Yet, in December, several colleagues fell ill, and she started to feel unwell.

"When omicron hit, I think just everybody was getting sick," she told 3News, "and it was just a matter of time before I ended up with it from school."

Gerber was 36 weeks pregnant when she tested positive for the second time. What started off as congestion left Caitlin feeling really run down. Within a few days, things had escalated.
"By Tuesday, I really wasn't feeling well still," she remembered. Something in me told me to take my blood pressure before bed, and it was sky-high, so I called triage and they told me to come in immediately to be induced."

When she was admitted, Gerber's blood pressure was 160/105. She'd developed pre-eclampsia — a hypertensive emergency.

"From there, it was kind of a blur," she said, "but it was also a nightmare."

Sara Shookman reports.

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This is such bullshit. You will ALL be held accountable.