Carrie Symonds: Boris Johnson's pregnant fiancee says she's suffered 'coronavirus symptoms'
Health minister says Symonds had 'classic signs and symptoms' for Covid-19 but was not tested
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson's pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds has said in a Twitter post that she's been suffering from 'coronavirus symptoms'.
Ms Symonds, who has been living separately from the prime minister since his Covid-19 diagnosis, added that she had not been tested for the virus.
"I’ve spent the past week in bed with the main symptoms of Coronavirus. I haven’t needed to be tested and, after seven days of rest, I feel stronger and I’m on the mend," she wrote.
She said it was "obviously worrying" being pregnant and potentially having contracted Covid-19 but advised anyone in a similar position to read guidance on the virus from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).
Mr Johnson tested positive for the coronavirus on 27 March and has been in self-isolation for more than a week.
The prime minister said his symptoms were mild but he had been advised to remain in isolation due to a high temperature, even though he was "feeling better".
Nadine Dorries, a government health minister who recently recovered from Covid-19, said she had spoken regularly to Ms Symonds through her illness.
"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," Ms Dorries said on Twitter.
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 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.
Public Health England (PHE) has said pregnant women should follow government advice on social distancing and stay away from public places “as a precaution”.
“If you are in your third trimester [more than 28 weeks pregnant] you should be particularly attentive to social distancing and minimising contact with others,” the organisation added.
Additional reporting by PA
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