This is a summary, written by members of the CITF Secretariat, of:

McClymont E, Abenhaim H, Albert A, Boucoiran I, Cassell K, Castillo E, Crane J, Elwood C, Fell DB, Joynt C, Kotaska A, Murphy PA, Murphy-Kaulbeck L, Poliquin V, Ryan S, Saunders S, Scott H, Shah P, Snelgrove J, van Schalkwyk J, Yudin MH, Money D. Canadian Surveillance of COVID-19 in Pregnancy (CANCOVID-Preg): a rapidly coordinated national response using established regional infrastructures. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2021 February. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogc.2020.10.005

The results and/or conclusions contained in the research do not necessarily reflect the views of all CITF members.

A CITF-funded group, Canadian Surveillance of COVID-19 in Pregnancy (CANCOVID-Preg), published a research letter in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada in 2021, summarizing its aims and protocols focused on the maternal-newborn population as a pan-Canadian national response to COVID-19. This population is more vulnerable to respiratory infections and to medical interventions used to treat infection, while having unique infection prevention and control needs during labor, delivery, and the postpartum period.

This research was led by Dr. Deborah Money (University of British Columbia).

CANCOVID-Preg’s aim is to generate Canadian-specific clinical and epidemiological data on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy on maternal, fetal, and neonatal health.

Key protocols:

  • CANCOVID-Preg operates as an observational surveillance-based approach that allows a far reach into rural and remote communities.
  • Case ascertainment extended back to March 1, 2020, and aimed to continue through the duration of the pandemic.
  • A steering committee was established with operating principles of transparency, equitable data access, and international data sharing.
  • International collaboration is critical to achieving numbers adequate to detect elevated risk, given the low frequency of many adverse events during pregnancy, and improves global understanding of COVID-19 in pregnancy.

The project has the potential to provide timely data to inform public health and to function as a platform for additional research by allowing researchers to obtain patient consent and collect biospecimens from a subset of affected pregnancies. It can act as a blueprint for future epidemics to provide rapid, high-quality data to support public health responses and clinical care during pregnancy and the postpartum period.