Is Your IVF Cycle Affected by COVID-19? What to Do?

Now referred to as COVID-19, Coronavirus has come up as a global outbreak. As a result, all the public places across the world like Schools, Colleges, Malls, Clubs, Theaters, and offices are closed where people can gather and get in close contact with each other. Most of the employees have been asked to work from home. Clinics and hospitals are struggling hard to fight against this pandemic. We salute to those healthcare workers working day and night to provide their selfless service.

Originated from Wuhan province in China, Coronavirus entered India in January 2020 when the first COVID-19 patient was detected. Till date, over 17,000 confirmed cases have been found in India and over 24 Lakh cases worldwide. This time, prevention is considered to be the only way to prevent this virus from spreading.

👉Reasons why IVF Centre Delaying IVF Treatments  

Amidst this tough situation, India and other countries have been under lockdown. We are also recommending all our patients to consult with our gynecologists online rather than visiting our clinic personally. But there is still no lack of patients looking for top IVF centers for IUI and IVF treatments. They are those patients planning to go for IVF for a long time but couldn’t because of the unavailability of leaves and jobs’ pressure. These days, most of them are looking for these treatments because of forced leaves in this outbreak.

We understand how infertility affects both caregivers and patients emotionally. But we still advise all those patients to delay their fertility programs for now. Even if you have been told to go for IVF urgently and you have low AMH, we still recommend you to take oral medications for at least 3 months and then go for IVF stimulation. There are medications available to improve the quality and quantity of eggs in women.

In case of stimulation has started already, we recommend you to undergo ovum pickup but freeze all the embryos and delay the process of fresh embryo transfer meanwhile. As compared to fresh embryos, frozen ones are known to have higher success rates. There is also a low risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) found in frozen embryo transfer.

Even though you don’t have any fertility issues (which is good), we advise you to still delay your pregnancy for the time being. It is because of the seriousness of the situation and increasing Coronavirus cases at an alarming rate. There is still limited information on the effects of COVID-19 in pregnancy as it is relatively a new virus. Influenza affects pregnant women more than women who are not pregnant. All pregnant women have been given vaccine shots for influenza to avoid harmful effects.

We are also delaying all the surgeries considering the safety of our patients, except emergency surgeries. In order to figure out if you need to visit the clinic due to your underlying symptoms, feel free to consult us online. Can you delay the surgery or do you need it right away? Avoid unnecessary clinic visits and travel. Ask us for online video and voice consultations rather than visiting us.

European Society of Human Reproduction (ESHERE) has issued proper measures on the effect of coronavirus on pregnancy and why all fertility patients should avoid pregnancy this time, even though they are planning or considering IVF treatment.

If you are pregnant already, be sure to avoid exposure to any person who has had a travel history or crowd. Maintain proper self-isolation and take care of your personal hygiene as well. Go for only phone or online consultants until required by the physician. There are certain COVID-19 cases when women were positive but delivered children normally. However, some had premature delivery but it is still not confirmed whether it is due to COVID-19 infection. If you have any symptoms related to coronavirus, consult with the nearby certified center for COVID-19 treatment and testing. We can and we will beat infertility and Corona together.

👉Does COVID-19 affect fertility?

There is still a lack of scientific data or evidence that Coronavirus affects fertility. But it is quite a complex situation. Since Coronavirus is quite new, a lot of scientists have to keep track of its effects on fertility. The same thing applies to pregnancy. There is no information on adverse results in pregnancy due to Corona.

SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV are other Coronaviruses that cause complications in pregnancy, such as stillbirth and miscarriage. According to the CDC, high fevers can cause birth defects during the first trimester.

👉If you feel that you might have Coronavirus while going for IVF, what should you do?

If you have problems with breathing, cough, or you have a fever above 100.4^oF or 38^oC, consult with emergency services or a primary care doctor. Be sure to call ahead. Tell your doctor about symptoms and your recent travel history, if any. Avoid personal contact with others and self-isolate until you get the report. Tell your fertility doctors as soon as you can.