COVID-19 and Women's Health, 2nd edition

Book excerpt: As a result of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the world is facing one of the greatest challenges we have experienced in over a century. The economic consequences for society at large are potentially catastrophic. The health and social care sectors have reacted by providing emergency care on an unprecedented scale, while the scientific community has focused on developing new treatments and a vaccine to prevent future waves of the pandemic. Evidence is emerging to suggest that certain conditions, such as obesity and hypertension, predispose some individuals to a worse outcome if they become infected, and that women may be less likely to die from COVID-19 than men. It is also currently believed that pregnant women are at no greater risk than the general population. There is an urgent need to determine whether these early observations are correct. Furthermore, we need to be sure that pregnancy outcomes are not affected by COVID-19 and that SARS-CoV-2 is not transmitted to the fetus during pregnancy or labour, nor to the infant through breast milk. There are so many questions that need to be answered to optimise care, avoid harm, reduce anxiety amongst women and their families, and inform health professionals and policymakers. We also need to understand the unintended consequences of the global lockdown on women’s health in general. For example, have rates of domestic violence risen; to what extent has women’s mental health been affected and have women successfully adapted or devised new coping mechanisms; have women been denied access to gynaecological treatments during the lockdown, including safe abortion and, if so, with what impact on their health and wellbeing; has the female work-force suffered disproportionately in economic terms; have national and international recommendations and policies been sufficiently gender neutral; have breastfeeding rates been adversely affected; will COVID-19 make attainment of the UN SDGs more difficult, etc.? In keeping with the Scope & Mission of Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, this Research Topic aims to provide a multi-disciplinary platform to answer important COVID-19 related questions that specifically impact upon women’s health and wellbeing, particular in resource-poor settings. The Topic Editors welcome a broad range of contributions including Original Research, Reviews, Commentaries, Study Protocols and Systematic Reviews. We would like to acknowledge Dr. Nathalie MacDermott and Dr. Rhiannon George-Carey who have have acted as coordinators and have contributed to the preparation of the proposal for this Research Topic. ***Given the exceptional nature of the COVID-19 situation, Frontiers is waiving all article publishing charges for COVID-19-related research in this Research Topic. Please note that manuscripts must be submitted by the deadline of December 31st.***