Doctors and nurses are concerned that those in early pregnancy are being told to go in to work, despite government advice to self-isolate at home as they are in the “high risk” category for coronavirus.

The government has advised that all pregnant women should now self-isolate at home during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak along with people who are over 70 or have an underlying health condition.

But those working in the NHS have expressed concern that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has advised health workers in their first and second trimester of pregnancy to continue working as normal, although they should use appropriate protection and avoid working in certain areas or with patients who are suspected of having the virus.

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Women who are more than 28 weeks pregnant, or have underlying health conditions, have been told to avoid direct patient contact.

In a strongly worded letter, signed by dozens of doctors, it has been argued that the impact of coronavirus on pregnant women is unknown and there is confusion on current guidance with some trusts asking staff at risk to work. The letter has also been published as a petition, with more than 11,000 signatures from concerned individuals.

The letter reads: “There is currently no evidence on the effects of the virus in the first or second trimesters of pregnancy, and very sparse data in those in the third. It appears that this advice is being given on the absence of evidence, rather than in the absence of risk. Whilst we are dedicated to our professional responsibilities and passionate about patient care, without an assurance of safety we are not willing for our unborn children to become the experiment.”

The Royal College of Midwives has said there is no evidence to suggest pregnant women are at greater risk from Covid-19. Doctors argue that there is not enough data on the effects of infection at any stage of pregnancy.

The letter was sent to the RCOG, the Royal College of Midwives, NHS England and NHS Scotland, among others.

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One senior registrar in surgery working in the south-west, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “There are some trusts interpreting the guidance as saying pregnant women need to keep coming to work as normal. What the impact would be if doctors refuse is hard to know but there is a lot of factors that come into play. It’s not just the impact it could have on pay and employment, which is important, but also the emotional burden put on doctors.”

Another doctor, who also wanted to remain anonymous, said: “Pregnant healthcare workers are being discriminated against compared to the general population who are classed as high-risk. … It has caused a great deal of distress and fear among pregnant healthcare workers who may now have to choose between their jobs and their babies.”

The letter, signed by doctors including Dr Henrietta Cavanagh and Susan Hendrickson, says: “The prime minister, Boris Johnson, and the chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, have advised that pregnant women are shielded from contracting Covid-19 as much as possible because the risks are unknown, and Public Health England have advised that all at risk groups should, including pregnant women ‘be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures’.”

The doctors said that the way RGOC advice has been interpreted by different NHS trusts and even across departments within the same trust had varied greatly, with many stating the government advice did not apply to healthcare professionals because their work was deemed as “essential”.

The letter says: “Currently, many pregnant healthcare workers remain in face-to-face clinical roles and are being unjustifiably exposed to Covid-19 in high-risk settings.”

The doctors argue that while they are acutely aware of the need to support the NHS workforce, there is also a duty of maintaining their own health and that of unborn babies.

A man, who asked to remain anonymous, said his wife – who works for the NHS – had just found out she was pregnant. He said: “We are already self-isolating as my wife had flu-like symptoms … We are in touch with the charge nurse and the advice given was really to discuss occupational health and do risk assessment. Basically they told her to try and avoid those with symptoms.”

An RCOG spokesperson said: “There is no evidence that coronavirus (Covid-19) is more dangerous to pregnant women than other healthy adults, or any evidence to suggest coronavirus causes miscarriage or babies to develop abnormally.

“We also know that for pregnant women who become seriously unwell in the later stages of pregnancy, it is sometimes necessary for the baby to be born early to enable the mother to recover through improving the efficiency of her breathing or ventilation.

“Therefore, the government has taken the precautionary view that it is particularly important that pregnant women after 28 weeks are not exposed to coronavirus.

“The evidence base for this new virus is growing rapidly. As and when new information emerges, we will issue new guidance.”