Keywords: Human Breast Milk, Colostrum, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, anti-SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies.
Tweetable abstract: Colostrum (n = 135) and mature milk (n = 81) were collected from pregnant women who had SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy or at delivery. All colostrum samples tested negative by rRT-PCR-SARS-CoV-2. However, IgA and IgG were present in 111 (82.2%) and 2 (1.5%) colostrum samples and 27 (33.3%) and 0 mature milk samples, respectively. Concentrations of immunoglobulins were not associated with the timing of infection but women with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia had higher levels of IgA and IgG in colostrum than those who were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms. All women should be encouraged to breastfeed, undertaking strict contact precautions when there is active disease.