Pregnant Woman Battling COVID-19 Delivers Baby In Medically Induced Coma

VANCOUVER, Wash. (CBS Local) -- A pregnant woman battling coronavirus on a ventilator and in a medically induced coma delivered a baby girl in Washington state.

Angela Primachenko, a respiratory therapist from the Vancouver, Washington area, was 33 weeks pregnant when she fell ill on March 22. She initially thought it was allergies, but decided to get tested COVID-19.

When she was tested positive, Primachenko was admitted to a hospital, placed in the intensive care unit and hooked up to a ventilator.

"It's been rough. It's been very, very hard. Emotional, exhausting. I wish this was a bad dream I could wake up from," Primachenko's twin sister, Oksana Luiten, told KGW.

By March 29, Primachenko was getting weaker, so doctors placed her in a medically induced coma. Luiten said doctors told the family the coma would allow her sister to use every ounce of her strength to fight the virus.

On April 1, while still in the coma, doctors induced Primachenko and she delivered her baby girl six weeks early. The newborn tested negative for the virus but by April 5, things weren't looking good for Primachenko.

"She started getting worse. They took an X-ray of her lungs and they are so not doing good," Luiten said.

But just a few hours later, Primachenko started improving and doctors were able to take her off the ventilator. Luiten said her sister is now able to breathe on her own and can communicate via video with her husband, who also tested negative for COVID-19.

"The baby is in the NICU for now until she can poop on her own and eat on her own; then they will send her home with dad," she said.

In the meantime, the family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover expenses.