Twelve pregnant women with Covid-19 have been treated by the Belfast Trust in the past week. RTÉ News understands that none of the women were vaccinated against the virus.
In a statement today, the Belfast Trust said that pregnant women with the virus are having to be ventilated, "with the majority being hospitalised in their third trimester, over 26 weeks".
Pre-term deliveries have also had to be arranged for a number of pregnant women in recent weeks. The Trust said that unvaccinated pregnant women are more likely to become infected with Covid-19, more likely to become unwell if they are infected, and more likely to require hospital admission and respiratory support.