evidence: A quarter of maternal deaths were associated with COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 combined, according to a report on maternal mortality in October 2022 by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. COVID-19 can pose higher risks to pregnant women, whose bodies are undergoing physiological changes, such as decreased lung capacity and a weakened immune system. And these bodily changes can continue in the postpartum period, Dr. Rainford adds. The deaths may have been caused by COVID-19 directly or by pre-existing conditions exacerbated by the virus, Dr. Rainford explains. "For instance, if you are pregnant and have chronic hypertension, your risk of dying from a COVID infection increases," Dr. Rainford says. "But, other contributing factors, including social stressors, can adversely affect your health. And stress affected everyone during the pandemic." The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines to anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, or who is trying to get pregnant or could become pregnant in the future.