Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many efforts have been made to understand how the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus spreads. Transmission by airborne droplets and contact with contaminated surfaces is considered to be predominant. A number of studies have shown that the virus is present in blood, urine, feces and tears, but not in semen. Most studies so far have found that the virus is rarely present in the vaginal secretions of women infected with Covid-19. The authors of a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine also concluded that the presence of the virus in the vagina is very rare. The study aims to answer the question to what extent the coronavirus can be present and replicate in the female reproductive tract, including the uterus, as this can affect the menstrual cycle and the development of the embryo after conception. The study was conducted in Israel with the participation of 51 women, one-third of whom were pregnant at the time of the study, and almost 90% of whom had been hospitalized for the coronavirus. The average age of the non-pregnant women was 50, compared to 30 for the pregnant group. The presence of chronic disease was 51% versus 19%, respectively. Non-pregnant women have higher white blood cell and neutrophil counts, and pregnant women have a higher hospitalization rate. Of the 16 women who contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy, 13 gave birth during the study period, nearly half of them by caesarean section. None of the babies tested positive for the virus in the first 24 hours of life and did not require specialist care. Only one of the women tested tested positive for the coronavirus in two separate vaginal discharge samples tested by two different methods. She is 60 years old and has multiple co-morbidities, removed uterus (hysterectomy). The woman was taking immunosuppressive drugs along with thyroid hormone replacement therapy. The scientists who conducted the study concluded that the gene positivity for the virus in vaginal discharge samples was very low compared to nasopharyngeal samples. Most studies so far have failed to detect the virus in the vaginal secretions of COVID-19-infected women over the age of 50, even though they had a severe illness. The same applies to pregnant women with mild COVID-19. The researchers hypothesized that it is possible that the viral mRNA found in the vaginal discharge of women who had recovered from COVID-19 was due to either fecal contamination or infection spreading from the gut to the reproductive tract. The fact that none of the neonates tested positive for viral RNA ruled out vertical transmission of the virus. However, further studies using simultaneous blood, urine and stool sampling are needed to understand the risk factors for vaginal colonization with this virus. Sources:JCM | Free Full-Text | Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 in the Vaginal Secretions of Women with COVID-19: A Prospective Study (mdpi.com)