The Pandemic and the Search for Medical Care While Pregnant

When Farida* started feeling extreme fatigue and pain in early April, she chalked it up to her increased load of housework. Since schools were suspended and daycare centers closed, she has had to shoulder the responsibility of caring for her two children under six — full time, all by herself. As a freelance journalist, Farida keeps herself updated and was aware of COVID-19 outbreaks in hospitals. She opted to rest and take herbs to try and feel better, rather than visiting a doctor and possibly end up contracting a deadly virus. But by mid-April, the young mother’s symptoms had only intensified. After she missed her period, she guessed that she was approximately one month pregnant. A trip to the doctor was no longer avoidable, so she called the OB-GYN who had helped deliver her two daughters, only to learn that his office was closed until further notice.

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