Pregnant Carrie Symonds announces she has 'the main symptoms of coronavirus'

4 April 2020, 17:30

Carrie Symonds, the pregnant fiancee of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has said that she has spent the past week in bed with the main symptoms of coronavirus.

In a tweet, she said: "I haven't needed to be tested and, after seven days of rest, I feel stronger and I'm on the mend."

Ms Symonds tweeted a link to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, adding: "Being pregnant with Covid-19 is obviously worrying.

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To other pregnant women, please do read and follow the most up to date guidance which I found to be v reassuring."

Five weeks ago, Ms Symonds announced that she is expecting a baby with the Prime Minister due in early summer.

They also announced that they plan to marry.

It comes after Mr Johnson went into isolation last week after contracting the virus.

As 32-year-old Ms Symonds falls into the group of vulnerable people urged to avoid contact with those with symptoms of Covid-19, the couple have been isolating away from each other.

She later shared a photograph of herself self-isolating in Camberwell, south London, with the couple's dog Dilyn.

Mr Johnson has been isolating in his flat above 10 Downing Street for seven days, the recommended amount of isolation time for those living alone.

However, as he is still showing symptoms of Covid-19, he will remain away from others.

Health minister Nadine Dorries, who was the first MP to be diagnosed with coronavirus, tweeted: "I've been speaking to @carriesymonds regularly throughout.

"She presented with and has been through the classic signs and symptoms most people experience with #COVID19 She is now recovering and getting stronger day by day. #InThisTogether."

While pregnant women do not appear more likely to contract coronavirus than the general population, pregnancy itself alters the body's immune system and response to viral infections in general.

Guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) says viral infections can "occasionally be related to more severe symptoms and this will be the same for Covid-19".

It says that while the risks are small overall, health professionals should look out for more severe symptoms of Covid-19 in pregnant women who test positive, such as pneumonia and a lack of oxygen.

But the RCOG said the current expert opinion is that unborn babies are unlikely to be exposed to Covid-19 during pregnancy.

There is also no data at the moment suggesting an increased risk of miscarriage for pregnant women.

The RCOG reiterates Government advice that pregnant women "should pay particular attention to avoiding contact with people who are known to have Covid-19 or those who exhibit possible symptoms".

It adds: "Women above 28 weeks' gestation should be particularly attentive to social distancing and minimising contact with others."