“How do I avoid getting sick while pregnant?” is one of the most common questions among expecting parents, and for good reason. Pregnancy changes how the body responds to ordinary respiratory viruses, and that shift is well documented in research. Genetics, sleep, and prenatal care all factor into that risk, and so does one thing that’s easy to overlook: the air and surfaces in the rooms where you spend most of your time.

Why pregnancy changes your response to viruses

Pregnancy shifts immune resources toward protecting the fetus, so some of the defenses that would otherwise fight off a virus get dialed back. Physical changes compound it: a rising diaphragm, reduced lung expansion, and higher oxygen demand leave less room to compensate when a respiratory illness hits. 

Changes to the immune, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems during pregnancy raise the risk of getting seriously ill from common respiratory viruses. The CDC reports that the odds of ICU admission with COVID-19 were 2.5 times higher for pregnant and recently pregnant women than for non-pregnant women of reproductive age, and that roughly 28 percent of reproductive-age women hospitalized with the flu between the 2010–2011 and 2018–2019 seasons were pregnant (a group that makes up a much smaller share of the overall population). That gap is exactly why the same cold that knocks a coworker out for two days is worth taking more seriously during pregnancy.

Vaccination, antivirals, and a conversation with a prenatal care provider are the front line. But most guidance stops at the doctor’s office door and doesn’t address the hours spent at home, where exposure actually happens day after day. 

How to reduce exposure in your home environment 

“Germs” is a vague word. In practice, a meaningful share of what a pregnant person is trying to avoid is airborne: virus-laden aerosols small enough to stay suspended in a room for hours. Research published in Science found that a 1-micron aerosol takes over 12 hours to fall to the ground from a height of 1.5 meters, and that these particles can travel well beyond the 3- to 6-foot range typically associated with “close contact.” That’s a room-air problem that isn’t effectively addressed by hand-washing or wiping down surfaces.

Helpful home habits to reduce your germ exposure:

• Increase fresh-air ventilation, or run a portable HEPA filter in the rooms used most.
• Keep household members with active symptoms in a separate room when possible, or have them wear a mask.
• Wash hands after handling shared, high-touch surfaces (doorknobs, remotes, phones).
• Ask a prenatal care provider which vaccinations are recommended for the current trimester.
• Keep an eye on local respiratory illness levels through the CDC’s tracking data.
• Add germicidal Far-UVC to your home cleaning stack. 

What is Far-UVC and how does it work? 

Increasing ventilation or running an air purifier moves or traps air particles, which is useful, but dependent on someone remembering to change a filter or open the window. Far-UVC light inactivates the pathogens themselves, continuously, in occupied rooms, without adding another task to a pregnancy to-do list.

A 2024 study in Scientific Reports found that far-UVC 222nm light reduced airborne infectious virus by 99.8 percent in an occupied room. A related 2022 study in the same journal found far-UVC reduced aerosolized Staphylococcus aureus (a common bacterium found on the skin and in the noses of about 30% of people; often harmless but occasionally can lead to more serious problems) by 98.4 percent in a room-sized chamber under normal ventilation.

Beacon, another layer of protection

Beacon uses Far-UVC 222nm light to inactivate airborne and surface pathogens, and has been tested against viruses that many pregnant people and parents fear most, including the ones that cause influenza, RSV, and COVID-19. Beacon runs continuously and is shown to reduce viruses, bacteria, and mold spores in the air and on surfaces by up to 99.9 percent.

As an EPA-registered disinfection product, Beacon is both effective and built to run safely around people all day, including pregnant women and children. It doesn’t replace vaccination or prenatal care; it’s another layer of protection against environmental germs that cause illness.