Obstetric and perinatal care units functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic

The rapid spread of COVID-19 and the large number of cases put a significant burden on the health systems of any developed country. Specialists in natural disasters and military medicine should be involved in the provision of medical care and observance of anti-epidemic measures. In some countries, including Italy, they were involved only after the situation was dramatically worsening with many clinical units and hospitals overloaded by infected patients. To curb the spread of COVID-19, most countries declared a state of emergency, and unprecedented measures have been taken to strengthen quarantine in suspected or positive symptomatic subjects. Nevertheless, the crisis associated with the unexpectedly global scale and tragedy of the pandemic and the inconsistency of actions of both society and individuals and specialized medical services, lead to insufficient effectiveness of the measures taken in a number of regions. In the present day, it is vital for every person to change its mindset ― relying on personal responsibility to comply with all recommendations of quarantine and anti-epidemic measures, and to reorganize departments and resources of medical institutions at all levels in order to withstand the spread of infection and at the same time provide all those in need with the necessary and appropriate medical care. Particular attention should be paid to the obstetric care service, given that even in “normal” times, the obstetric hospital is an area of increased responsibility for the life and health of mother and child and future mankind. Fulfillment of existing orders, instructions of national and regional committees, international and national protocols and clinical protocols should undoubtedly lead to a positive result, but this requires additional training of medical personnel at all levels. The purpose of this review is to propose quick key strategies for reassessing the maternity and neonatal wards/ hospitals based on the experience of health systems and organizations which faced the spread of this new coronavirus; this advice may be applied along with binding tight instructions in obstetric hospitals in order to proactively respond to a likely wave of growth in COVID-19.