Association Between COVID-19 Pandemic Phases and the Risk of Maternal Intensive Care Unit Admission: A Retrospective Analysis of 215,363 Victorian Hospital Admissions

Abstract

( Aust N Z J Obstet and Gynaecol 2025;65:462–468. doi:10.1111/ajo.13931) The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected pregnant patients in regard to risk for morbidity. This population-based retrospective study examined how different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission among pregnant patients in Victoria, Australia. Because Australia lacked national data assessing severe maternal COVID-19 outcomes across vaccination eras, the authors analyzed all hospital admissions for pregnant individuals aged 15 and older between March 2020 and March 2022. They divided the pandemic into 2 periods: phase 1, spanning March 2020 to October 2021, when fewer than 70% of pregnant people were vaccinated; and phase 2, from November 2021 to March 2022, after statewide maternal vaccination coverage reached at least 70%. The study assessed COVID-19 infection rates, ICU admissions, and hospital length of stay (LOS), and explored how sociodemographic factors shape infection and morbidity risk.