AFJOG

ORIGINAL RESEARCH reached. The indirect effects of the pandemic and lockdowns may have contributed to a change in the observed prevalence of PTL and PPROM. Further research is needed on the impact SARS-CoV-2 exposure and vaccination on obstetric and perinatal outcomes. The association of a positive history of pulmonary TB with PTL and PPROM further highlights the need to investigate all pregnant patients at risk of pulmonary TB to reduce maternal and perinatal morbidity in LMICS. The perinatal period is an important opportunity to prevent, screen, diagnose, and treat those at high risk for TB. Furthermore, UTI’s were found to be the most common precipitants of PTL and PPROM. PTL and PPROM are associated with perinatal morbidity and mortality and place a high burden on neonatal services. Dedicated care and rigorous investigation should be prioritised in at risk patients to prevent recurrence in future pregnancies. Strengths and limitations of the study This study is the first prospective study investigating asymptomatic COVID-19 infection and PTL and PPROM in an obstetric population in KZN province, South Africa. In addition, the study design included a control group which strengthened the validity of the findings. The study is limited by the sensitivity and specificity of COVID-19 testing. A significant proportion, 36.8%, of urine samples were not representative samples and could not contribute to the results. And the actual proportion of patients with UTI may have, in fact, been underestimated. In addition, the study did not focus on patient and neonatal outcomes that couldhaveallowedus todrawfurther conclusions. REFERENCES ¥ £ £ · ³ ´ ³ ´ £ © ³ ´ ³ ´ £ ³ ´ ³ ´ ¡ ® £ ¥¥ ¡ ¡ µ § £ ^ £ ³ ´ § ³ ´ £ ¥ © ¥ § ¹ ¨ § ®§ § ¬ § ³ ´ ¤ £ ³ ´ ³ ´ £ £ £ ³ ´ ³ ´ £ ¤ ¤ ¿ £ ¤ ¹ ¨