Working pregnant women on edge over coronavirus outbreak

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Tue, September 26, 2023 | 05:50

Health & Science

Working pregnant women on edge over coronavirus outbreak

Posted : 2020-02-06 17:06

Updated : 2020-02-09 18:46

A pregnant woman filed a petition on the presidential office website asking for the government to force companies to allow pregnant employees to temporarily work from home.

By Kim Se-jeong

An increasing number of pregnant women who hold down jobs are expressing concerns over the rapidly-spreading coronavirus, with some calling on the government to force employers to allow them to work from home.

"I am in my 31st week now. As a working mother, I can't stop myself from being exposed to other people at work. I am getting very worried about it. What should I do? I want to work until mid-March, but given what's going on now, I may have to reconsider my plan," a woman in Mapo wrote on the Naver Cafe for Mothers webpage, Thursday.

She is among the many pregnant women in the country concerned about potential exposure to the infection.

Some mothers also expressed concerns over going to hospitals for check-ups during pregnancy and staying in post-natal care facilities after the delivery.

No such case has been reported in Korea. In China, however, an infant tested positive for the virus 30 hours after it was born on Wednesday. Doctors suspect the virus might have been transmitted through the womb.

There's no information or studies about the impact of the coronavirus on fetuses or infants.

Speaking with a local newspaper, Chung Ki-hyun, the director of the National Medical Center expressed his concern over the possible infection among pregnant women and the challenges it could bring about.

"How would the medical service providers respond if a pregnant woman showed symptoms? Now, we just don't know how to do it. To deal with a complicated situation like this, we need enough training and education for the doctors."

One soon-to-be mother filed a petition asking the government to force companies to allow pregnant employees to work from home.

"I have difficulty going to work in the morning because of fear of the coronavirus. Already, a few companies have allowed pregnant employees to work from home. But, for the most part, this is up to the employers to decide. The fear that I and many other pregnant women share is beyond imagination. Please help me protect my child. Please act on this so that pregnant women can work from home in this time of crisis." The petition filed on Feb. 4 drew around 450 supporters.

skim@koreatimes.co.kr