*Article* **The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Premature Birth—Our Experience as COVID Center**

**Tina-Ioana Bobei 1,2, Bashar Haj Hamoud 3, Romina-Marina Sima 2,4,\*, Gabriel-Petre Gorecki 2,5, Mircea-Octavian Poenaru 2,4, Octavian-Gabriel Olaru 2,4 and Liana Ples 2,4**


**Abstract:** Information about the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on pregnant women is still limited and raises challenges, even as publications are increasing rapidly. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on preterm birth pregnancies. We performed a prospective, observational study in a COVID-only hospital, which included 34 pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection and preterm birth compared with a control group of 48 healthy women with preterm birth. The rate of cesarean delivery was 82% in the study group versus 6% for the control group. We observed a strong correlation between premature birth and the presence of COVID-19 symptoms (cough *p* = 0.029, fever *p* = 0.001, and chills *p* = 0.001). The risk for premature birth is correlated to a lower value of oxygen saturation (*p* = 0.001) and extensive radiologic pulmonary lesions (*p* = 0.025). The COVID-19 pregnant women with preterm delivery were older, and experienced an exacerbation of severe respiratory symptoms, decreased saturation of oxygen, increased inflammatory markers, severe pulmonary lesions and decreased lymphocytes.

**Keywords:** COVID-19; pregnant women; gestation age; preterm birth; birth rate; SARS-CoV-2
